


Glimpses

by StarWritingFlute200



Series: Glimpses [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Dreams and Nightmares, Family, Gen, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Pre-Sorcerer's Stone, bear with me, but also like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2020-07-26 00:30:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20034859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarWritingFlute200/pseuds/StarWritingFlute200
Summary: Ella is new to being a witch and this new world of Hogwarts. She's discovering a love for casting spells, brewing potions, and joking with her favorite twins. Only one problem, she somehow has the ability to see the future. Dark times lie ahead as Ella learns what her strange ability means and she wonders why a boy with a lightning scar who she's never met is so important to these dreams. How can she cope with knowing more then she should?





	1. Of Dreams and Flying Erasers

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've worked on this story for almost 9 years on a different website, but I need a little push to keep going. So I'm re-exploring the story from the very beginning to influence my work for much, much later stuff. Instead of doing this just for myself, I've decided to post it here since I just discovered this website at the beginning of the summer! Keep with this story, it's a lot of exposition to set up the real stuff for the rest of the series! I always like to state that I only own my original character, everything else belongs to JK Rowling.
> 
> I'm going to post probably every Monday, though I may change that day. Promise it'll be weekly! Feel free to comment and give kudos if you like it!

Chapter One

Of Dreams and Flying Erasers

Summer hung in the air of the small classroom and in reality, it was merely a day away. An eleven year old sat at her desk watching as bumblebees floated lazily outside the classroom window. It was her last class of the day and the teacher seemed to not understand that they wouldn’t be returning for months so teaching anything new was pointless. She twirled her brown hair around her finger like she always did when she was nervous, embarrassed, or just bored. It was a tick she couldn’t seem to break, even if her parents scolded her for it. Her blue eyes stared at the sky just outside the window, imagining herself out in the warm air.

Her name was Ella Worthington, and she was a perfectly abnormal girl raised to believe that nothing could possibly be worse. She never believed her parents would let her do anything that could ruin their reputation as refined scientists holding PhDs and the highest standards for their only child. In this way, she wasn’t a total disappointment to her parents. Ella had grown up with a brilliant mind as well as imagination, but her parents tried to get the imagination out of her. Their world had grown on a foundation of science and they refused to let their notability crumble from any differing ideas. They believed in logic, but Ella believed in so much more.

Ever since she was little, she had a weird feeling about the world around her and knew she was different. The world was not so logical as her parents had hoped to teach her. Things happened to Ella, strange things. Her parents always could find some sort of explanation to it, but she didn’t want an explanation. Ella loved the unexplained and despite the fact she excelled in ordinary classes like science, she found they left her feeing like she was missing something. She loved to discover something new and taking a different method to do so. More often than she cared to note, her parents would be disappointed in the illogical approach to problems, but Ella found the challenge invigorating. It was fun to learn everything. It was fun to discover new things in ways that weren’t in her parents’ definition of normal.

Because of her parents, the only thing in Ella’s life that seemed to be interesting aside from those magical instances was the dreams she’d have. She would fall asleep and have the most vivid and life like dreams. Somedays, she would wake up believing that those dreams had to be real, but nothing in her life ever seemed to match the dreams. Most dreams were repetitive or focused on very similar situations, but they were always full of things her parents would never approve of. Flying motorcycles and broom sticks, castles and enchanted lakes. Sometimes there was even a boy who had to be around her age, a boy she dreamed of often with a horrid aunt, uncle, and cousin who liked nonsensical things about as much as her parents did. Though, she’d never seen a boy like him in real life, he showed up in her dreams frequently. She loved the magical dreams she had, though some were rather frightening. Most of the time, she fought to remember her dreams, though there were times she’d wake up and only be left with a blurred memory of what she’d seen.

“Miss. Worthington, are you paying attention to me or waiting for the sky to change color?” Mrs. Winters asked Ella and she blushed a brilliant red.

“Sorry, ma’am,” she mumbled, afraid to look up and see her classmate’s snickering at her.

“She’s probably waiting for a flying carpet or something to take her back to where the nutters live!” Allison giggled across the room from her. Ella blushed more and her hands tightened into fists beneath her desk.

Allison and Ella used to be friends until Ella decided to tell her about a fascinating dream she had of a giant man riding a flying motorcycle. Allison had laughed in Ella’s face, only becoming more vindictive as Ella insisted about how real it all seemed. Within days, Allison had told their entire class that Ella believed in giants and thought motorcycles could fly. No one asked Ella for her side of the story, and she’d been too nervous to tell anyone different. Since then, Allison made it her life’s mission to torment Ella at every moment, and most days, Ella found it wasn’t worth it to fight back. Today, Ella glared at Allison, feeling fed up with her actions as her teeth clenched together. Without any warning, her eraser flew over to Allison hitting her straight in the forehead between her eyes.

“Ella!” Mrs. Winters yelled, “You will stay after class!” Ella lowered her head and nodded, hearing a new wave of giggles from the class. It wasn’t her fault. She never did anything like this, and she hadn’t even touched the eraser. Things like that always happened, her magical instances, but they always got her in trouble. Her mother put one of her toys on the top shelf when she was little as a punishment and Ella was able to jump nearly ten feet in the air to grab it. Another time she was racing Allison and lost, badly. Allison taunted her so much that she asked for a rematch. She really didn’t know what happened, but one moment she was at one end of the street while the next she was at another. That one happened a lot when she was really little. Her parents would yell for her to come downstairs, and then she would just appear there. Whenever that happened, she’d get in trouble for running in the house.

The bell rang and she stayed in her seat despite the urge to run outside and away from everything. Mrs. Winters left to contact her parent for what seemed like the thousandth time this year. What would they do now? Ground her for weeks? Ella would hate being trapped in her house during the summer. It makes her feel so alone, and there was only so much to do. She could imagine her parents forcing her to go to science-based summer camp, which wouldn’t be too bad since she could make new friends and learn more, but she was really hoping to continue her quest in reading as many library books as possible. Ella had started it the year before and found herself absorbing the most fantastical fiction books and inspiring true stories. If her parent kept her inside, she wouldn’t be able to get new books. Her mind raced with other punishments they might be able to come up with. By the time the two arrived she had thought of things like shipping her to a boarding school in Paraguay. They were extremely disappointed and didn’t even try to take Ella’s side. Instead they asked what her punishment would be.

“Since the year has ended I suggest she just apologizes and you leave it be. Not much to do now,” the teacher said, wanting to get home as badly as her students had. It was a silent car ride as well as dinner. It felt like no one wanted to punish Ella, but the disappointment and quiet home was punishment enough. She went to bed without a word said to her. Though, it felt normal for her parents not to talk to her whether she was in trouble or not.

As she slept, she dreamt of a castle that was overlooking the most magnificent lake. A dense forest surrounded the stone towers that jutted into the sky all around the structure. She followed a path leading to the opening of the castle and saw several people waiting to greet her. There was a man with greasy air and long hooked nose, a woman who turned into a cat then into a stern looking woman again, and another man whose nose was crooked and his hair was long enough to tuck into his belt. They were all peculiarly dressed in cloaks of all colors that brushed up against the ground. The old man and stern woman seemed to be waving her over as to welcome her into their castle. It was the warmest she’d felt to someone else, like they knew what she was dealing with. Before Ella could enter the castle, the dream ended as though Ella’s dreams were even outlawed in the house where imagination was prohibited.

Of course, her parents never true gave her the time of day a child should have growing up. Ella noticed it from a very young age – all the other kids’ parents at school acted so different from her own. The parents she watched on TV would be more like others’ parents. If a show’s parents acted like hers, they were typically frowned upon, but Ella didn’t know what that meant for real life. They rarely ever talked to her unless it was criticizing. Both of them wanted good grades and no trouble making, but other than that they didn’t care what she did. They gave her everything she needed, more clothes than she wanted, warm meals either cooked for her or easily available to heat up in their absence, but she never had the connection she desperately wanted. Neither of them wanted to be a part of her life – they wanted a perfect child without the fuss of raising her that way. It was quite lonely, and sometimes she wanted a hug or someone to believe she wasn’t lying. Ella had gotten used to not having loving parents, she used the books from the library for comfort. Ella raised herself in the ways that would make her favorite characters proud. Even still, it stung when her real parents said things such as, we hadn’t intended on you being born or you were a total surprise. Those words were normal now, though she knew they shouldn’t have been. Ella still tried to love her parents, even trying to believe that deep down, they really did care about her.

“Good morning Ella,” her mother said while making breakfast. She nodded and sat near her father.

“We think that today you will go apologize to that girl,” he told her.

“But it wasn’t my fault, the eraser just flew at her; I never touched it!” Ella stated, wishing they’d believe her for once.

Her mother tutted, “Ella we raised you better than that. You aren’t supposed to lie.” She knew that this was a fight she wouldn’t win.

Ella’s parents put her in a dress and took her to Allison’s house. Ella sat fuming in the back seat about the whole ordeal. She hated that Allison always looked like the good girl while she seemed like the delinquent. It wasn’t fair that she was actually normal and Ella for some reason couldn’t manage that. Ella enjoyed being different, but sometimes it was a pain...like when she had to apologize for things completely out of her control.

Her parents walked her to the door and motioned for her to ring the bell.

“What do you want?” Allison sneered, though her parents seemed oblivious to it.

“I want to apologize for my rude actions yesterday and for…having the eraser hit you,” Ella said in a false-sincere tone. Allison shrugged and shut the door. Ella took some deep breaths to calm her and then walked away with her parents who didn’t seem to have anything more to say on the matter.

The summer passed annoyingly slow and Ella kept coming home scraped and bruised from Allison and her friends finding her on her way home from the library. It made no difference what path she took, one of them always found her. She’d give anything to not have to go to school with the group again. It had reached nearly July and she had been stuck alone all summer. Her parents were always working and never wanted to spend time with her, which wasn’t surprising but still left her feeling disappointed and lonely regardless. Ella normally wandered around her neighborhood trying to stay out of trouble and failing miserably.

She liked the playground when none of the little kids were there to kick sand at her, but that was very rare. She mostly went there if it was raining because everyone would go inside and play. Ella spent most of her time reading library books in the bushes since early in the summer, Allison’s friends would find her in the library and force her outside. There were hundreds of bushes where she lived so she would pick a spot and dive into the world of imagination that she loved exploring.

The giants, witches, and fairies made summer bearable to her. She loved to go to the library and check the books out and then read for hours on end. Several books had to be replaced because the other girls would damage them if they found Ella after a library trip. So she tried to hide extra well. It was a pitiful way to spend the summer, yet Ella was used to it. These people didn’t understand her and never took the time to reach out.

One day she was heading home rather early due to the hot weather when she ran into Allison and her friends milling about in front of her house. They watched her walk down the sidewalk, but Ella still hoped they would just let her right through, but she knew they would never let her get off so easy. Picking on her was their favorite summer pastime, and Ella had no one to help her stop them. Two of Allison’s friends grabbed her by the arms and stopped her in her tracks a few feet from her driveway.

“Where do you think you’re going Smella?” Allison said while her minions chuckled stupidly.

“Home, Allison, that’s the thing you’re standing in front of for me, I know you prefer to live under rocks, but this is where humans live.” Ella snapped at her and the minions shoved her to the ground causing her to scrape her knees.

Ella glared up at Allison who said, “Look at this, ladies, a book! Ella hasn’t any friends so she has to read them! Poor, poor Smella.” She cackled along with the others. Ella tried to keep her temper in check, but it was hard to do with them taunting her.

“At least I can read! You all are probably too stupid to comprehend a word of it!” Ella yelled, wishing someone would come along and see her being bullied for once. Allison merely chuckled at her feeble attempts to get the book back. She gave a look to the girl holding it and she chucked it into a puddle of mud.

“Oops!” The minion said with a harsh laugh. The other girls dissolved into giggles as the book splashed mud on the side of Ella’s leg.

Ella looked sadly as the brown muck slowly seeped onto the yellow cover and white pages as it sunk deeper. She’d have to replace another of the books. The library might ban her this time; they were getting highly annoyed by all the destroyed books. Allison laughed as she bent over the mud puddle careful not to fall in. She didn’t need to transform into a ball of mud since her parents could be home in a matter of minutes. She felt hands shove her back and she tumbled face first into the puddle. The group snickered and Ella felt herself becoming too angry to control. Before anything could happen the giggling died off immediately.

Looking over Allison’s shoulder, she saw a greasy haired man strolling down the sidewalk looking at the girls in such a fashion Ella thought they’d burst into tears. He had dark, shoulder-length hair and cold black eyes. Each of them started to back away, their eyes not leaving the glaring man.

“What, might I ask, are you doing?” He asked them in dangerously low voice.

“W-we were j-j-just leaving sir,” Allison said shaking and then turned around with her friends and ran off. Ella looked up at the man frightened.

He glanced down at the girl and he said, “Come on, get up. We don’t have all day.” Ella nodded and crawled out of the mud, trying to shake it off of her. She walked with the man to her house, too dazed and surprised to truly take in the situation. Ella got herself a towel to wipe off the mud and changed into a new outfit so her parents would never know about the mess she’d made. She had no idea what to say to the man or what her parents would say letting a stranger in the house. He didn’t seem strange to her though, she felt as though she’d known him for a long time.

“Would you like some tea, sir?” She asked hesitantly after she had changed. Ella set the book down on the table and sat down opposite of him after he shook his head. Out of the corner of her eye Ella could see the man getting out an envelope with green ink on it and a stick.

The man held the stick and tapped the book. Immediately the mud left it and it seemed as good as new. She gasped in surprise and awe, wondering if she was dreaming this very moment. It felt much too real, though.

He cleared his throat, “Will your parents be arriving soon?”

She nodded, “Any minute now. Who are you?”

“In due time, Miss. Worthington,” the man told her in a bored voice. Ella was confused how he knew her name and looked down at the letter seeing that her name and exact bedroom was written on it.

Ella kept to herself while they sat there. She had seen this man in the dream where he stood next to the waving people who tried to get her to come into the castle. If he was with them, he had to belong to that castle as well, and now he was here with her._ I must be dreaming, I must._ Ella couldn’t help but think. She didn’t want to imagine some of the dreams she had were real, but others she wanted to be real more than anything. Ten minutes had passed and the car pulled into the driveway. Ella ran to the door to answer it. Her parents walked in and stopped as soon as they saw the man, who was about their age, maybe younger.

“Who are you?” Ella’s mother asked.

“I am Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I’m here to inform you that your daughter is a witch.”


	2. Logic Lies

Chapter Two

“That is absurd! I want you out of my house right now!” Ella’s father yelled at the man, but Ella could hardly contain the jittery feeling coursing through her entire body. She felt like lightning would shoot from her fingertips or that she could levitate off the ground. Come to think of it, maybe she really could.

She dashed over to the man, “Is that why I can do things no one can explain?”

The professor looked down at the girl, “Yes, it is, and you must go to this school to learn control over your magic.” Severus tried to keep his eyes away from the young Muggle-born. Her spirited excitement reminded him painfully of Lily at that age – and her parents didn’t feel too far off from her horrid sister.

The father fumed, “This is not logical! Magic does not exist!”

Ella ignored her father and asked more questions, “Professor, do you have a mark on your arm? Like a skull with a little snake? A tattoo of some kind?”

Snape was thoroughly taken aback, “That’s none of your business!” He snapped before remembering that this child wasn’t from his world and should have known anything of Dark Marks. He looked her up and down, “Why do you ask?”

“I saw it in a dream of mine!” she babbled excitedly, not noticing the confused look taking over Snape’s features. “Is Hogwarts a castle with a large lake that has a giant squid and a forest filled with centaurs and other dangerous creatures?”

Professor Snape nodded, still flummoxed by Ella’s questions, “Of course, now do you accept going to the school for the next seven years?”

Ella was shaking vigorously, “Oh yes! Please mom...dad? I’ve never wanted anything more, and I’ll never ask for something big like this again.”

The parents seemed dumbstruck, “You will not tell our daughter about silly things such as magic and a school for witches, it’s rubbish!”

Snape took out his wand and aimed it at the tea pot. A spark of purple light hit it dead center. The family watched as small, porcelain legs grew out of the sides and it began to do a tap dance around their kitchen counter. Ella let out a shout of glee and ran to watch it closer, trying to see how it worked. Her parents watched it looking absolutely shocked.

Her mother gained composer first, “She won’t go regardless. We won’t have it! She is set to go to the most prestigious school of science and mathematics to further set her on her path for an esteemed career following in our footsteps. You cannot come in and change these plans.”

“But mom, I’ve always been different; I could actually be with people like me! I could learn more about the parts of me none of us have ever understood. Besides, you wouldn’t have to deal with me if I’m there.” Ella snapped at her mum, here mouth clicking closed realizing she might have gone too far in her haste and desperation.

“Do not speak to your mother in that tone,” the dad snapped furiously. “What would we tell people if you just disappeared?”

“Many people come up with valid enough excuses, you should have no problems,” the professor said snidely.

Her father was absolutely livid, “Fine take her!” The man grabbed the nearest vase and chucked it at Snape’s head. He ducked just in time. “If she wants to ruin every plan we’ve had for her since birth, she can go with you.” Ella glanced between her parents and the professor, and while the idea of disappointing her parents terrified her, she knew that the consequences of not following this man would be so much worse. 

“I’ll be taking her to get some supplies now.” Without another word Professor Snape led Ella out of the house and walked with her to get into town.

“Sorry about them,” Ella said sheepishly. He was reminded more and more of the Lily he grew up with. With the girl’s parents mixed with her disposition it was almost like him as a child combined with Lily, but no. If he kept thinking that way he’d grow fond of her.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said shortly. They caught the Underground and headed towards London.

“London has magical supplies?” Ella asked not knowing what to think.

Professor Snape let a chuckle escape, “Diagon Alley is a hidden area where most withes and wizards do their shopping. We’ll get your spell books, robes, wand, cauldron, and a pet as well.” Ella was nearly bouncing around the streets as they walked to this Diagon Ally place. They came to a sort of shabby looking pub called The Leaky Cauldron. Ella looked around to the other people walking down the street and came to the conclusion that only she and Professor Snape could see it.

Walking through, Ella saw her first real crowd of witches and wizards. There were other things having meals or just a drink that she couldn’t name, but it all felt surreal. She was nervous to be around them and got scared as they all stared at her. So many faces and smells to take in; it was a lot to cope with after only figuring out she was a witch less than an hour before. Soon they had gone through the pub and came out to a brick wall. Ella watched in awe as he took out his wand and tapped a pattern onto several bricks, then stood back as a hole appeared in the wall. It grew until they were able to fit through.

“I was thinking we’d get some money then your robes. Afterwards I’ll let you explore a little while I get some Potion supplies and we’ll meet back here to get your books, wand, other supplies, and pet,” Professor Snape informed her. Ella nodded looking at all the shops that were on the streets. There were people in all sorts of colors of robes. Magic filled the windows of the shops and spilled onto the cobblestone street. To her shock there were kids her age getting school supplies like she was, their parents pulled them along to different stores trying to keep them focused.

A white, marble building stood at the end of the road, look both grand and foreboding as they walked up the steps. Its sign said: Gringotts, and Ella watched as a small creature in scarlet and gold held open the door. She walked inside and was amazed yet again by the same creatures working at the desks. They were small and ugly, not to mention they looked rather vicious or they could be if you were on their wrong side. The professor moved slowly up to one of the desks and spoke with the creature, explaining they needed to get into the Hogwarts vault. Ella took in the room while the two spoke. The room was spacious and held a warm orange glow from a large selection of candles. A large set of doors in the room was engraved with an almost poetic warning about greed. It made her shiver, but Ella could hardly imagine being brave enough to steal from a regular bank much less a magical one. These creatures were enough to frighten her.

Snape walked forward, following one of the creatures – goblins, she heard someone else call them. He took the two of them to a cart and the ride to the vaults and back was nothing short of magical. It moved incredibly fast and her hair whipped around behind her like a rollercoaster she’d been able to go on once. Even without seatbelts they managed to stay in. Ella hardly remembered to be afraid of the goblin who was with them when Snape exited the cart and grabbed round colored disks from the vault. Wizard money certainly didn’t look like the pounds she was used to.

When they had exited the building with the money Professor Snape explained to her, “These bronze ones are called Knuts, twenty-nine Knuts make one of these silver Sickles, and seventeen Sickles makes a gold Galleon.” Ella held the money in her hands and decided that these were better than any pound she had ever seen. Though she wasn’t sure she was fond of their addition with currency. Such odd numbers involved, keeping things even felt much simpler, but maybe the quirky numbers added a certain charm to the money. The professor steered Ella to a shop where she would get her robes for school. She was curious of what it would be like to have robes instead of regular clothes. She was no stranger to a school uniform, but the pointy hats sitting in the window definitely weren’t like anything her other schools had her wear. The shop was rather empty and she went to stand on a stool, only one girl was in the shop by herself and she looked very concerned when she saw Snape walk in.

“Um, hello Professor Snape,” The girl on the other stool said. Ella got the feeling Snape wasn’t very nice to some students by the girl’s hesitation. She was very pretty and didn’t look much older than Ella, though she was several inches taller. She had brown hair in a long braid and brown eyes that matched her skin.

“Hello, Miss. Johnson; Miss. Worthington I’ll be going now to get my supplies meet me in front of Flourish and Blott’s in an hour.” Professor Snape said rather bored leaving her with some wizard money.

The girl turned to Ella and smiled, “I’m Angelina Johnson, what’s your name?”

“My name’s Ella Worthington,” she said hoping they could be friends. She was already nicer than most of the kids at her last school had been, and she understood that Ella wasn’t strange, she was a witch. Granted, Ella imagined every student she met would understand being magic at a school made for students to study it. Ella looked the girl up and down once more; she had a vague impression of seeing this girl riding a broomstick in a dream.

“I’m guessing that this is your first year, and you’re Muggle-Born. I’m going into my second year; rotten luck having your escort be Snape, though, he seems to be nice to you…for now at least,” Angelina continued on.

“Sorry, Muggle?”

“Oh, it’s someone who isn’t magic! Nothing wrong with having two Muggle parents, to me and others anyways, some people have a problem with it, but they’re just gits,” Ella liked Angelina more and more with every word.

The woman who was taking measurements and hemming robes told the girls they were finished and they hoped off the stools. They left the shop together each holding a bag of robes in their hands.

“Well, I have to go find my parents, so I’ll see you later. Hopefully on train! It’d be amazing if you got into Gryffindor like I am,” Angelina said waving while she walked to go to another shop.

_“What’s Gryffindor?”_ Ella wondered. She decided to ask her professor later and started wandering around in search of this Flourish shop. She wasn’t sure what they sold. Maybe it was her wand since she would flourish it. That’d be aptly named for a wand store, but it still didn’t sound quite right.

As she explored the wizarding marketplace, she found shops filled with owls and a place giving ice cream. Another shop had racing brooms and Ella imagined what it’d be like to soar through the sky on one of them. She was certain it would be better than driving in a car or maybe even an airplane. Easier to feel the wind whipping through her hair at the very least – maybe like the carts in Gringotts but she’d have more of the control. Ella meandered further down the row of shops, sucking in every sight like it’d be the last time she’d seem them. Part of her still believed she might be dreaming, and if she were, she wanted to remember every last detail once she woke up. Ella hadn’t noticed a woman standing in front of a joke shop until she bumped into her, sending several books sprawling across the stones below.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, ma’am. Here let me help you, I’m so sorry!” Ella said feeling terrible for running into her.

The woman smiled and tried to get Ella to calm down, “It’s alright, sweetie. I’ve got it.” The woman pulled out her wand and the books went back into her arms. Ella gaped at the books moving without being touched before realizing that this must be normal to most of the people around her.

Ella nodded, “Right, you’re a witch, you can use magic. I’m still new to all this.”

“First year? Muggle-Born?” She asked smiling still. Ella nodded at her and she said, “Don’t you worry, Hogwarts is a fantastic school, any ideas on what house you want to be in?”

“I’m sorry, house? Like a place to live?”

The woman shook her head, chuckling, “No, no, dear. Well, actually, in a way, I suppose they are like a house seeing as you live with the others who get sorted there. There’s four houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff.”

She thought about it and remembered Angelina, “I don’t think those names really mean anything to me right now, but one girl who was getting robes at the same time as me said she wanted me to be in Gryffindor with her. She was incredibly nice, so I’d imagine I’d like that house.”

The woman smiled even wider, “I was in Gryffindor when I went to Hogwarts, so far all of my children have been in Gryffindor as well.” Just then a girl and boy who were younger then Ella walked out of the store and came over to the woman. They all had red hair. She was shocked; she had seen the people before.

“You’re…you’re Ron and Ginny,” Ella blurted before realizing a normal person wouldn’t know, but maybe a witch might. She glanced at their faces and based on the immense shock, she started to think maybe witches couldn’t.

The two were taken aback and their mother asked, “How do you know?”

Ella blushed furiously, “I’m so sorry ma’am that probably sounds really strange. I just…I have these dreams – a lot. I see different things about witches and wizards, all things magic really, and I’ve seen both of them before. In fact, I think I saw them at Hogwarts with me, which I suppose makes sense because they must have magic like their family. I used to think that my dreams were just that – really vivid dreams, but now, I’m beginning to think everything I’ve been dreaming is in some way real. I don’t know how to explain it. Is that strange for witches? For anyone?” Ella felt a nervous bubble grow into her chest as each rambling word rolled off her tongue.

“It’s certainly not something I’ve come across, but it sounds like you have a very rare gift. Something that makes you special.” She looked her up and down, but Ella didn’t feel uncomfortable under her gaze, “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe I caught your name, dear,” she said bewildered at the thought of forgetting to ask sooner.

“It’s Ella, Ella Worthington, ma’am,” she told her still blushing.

“Call me Mrs. Weasley, dear! You’re so sweet, where are you parents?” Mrs. Weasley asked.

Ella looked down at her feet frowning slightly, “They refused to come. They don’t want to believe in magic or anything magical. It kind of goes against everything they’ve known their whole lives. I think they’ll be writing me out of their will and kicking me out as soon as I’m old enough now.”

Mrs. Weasley frowned at this, “That’s terrible. They should be proud to have such a sweet, polite, and magical daughter. If you ever need a place to stay don’t be afraid to write us.”

Ella nodded, “Of course! Well, I’m sure you have more shopping to do, and I need to find the professor that brought me here at a place called Flourish and …I forgot the name.”

“Blotts,” Mrs. Weasley said, “It’s not too far from here.” She gave Ella directions and waved goodbye as she went to find Professor Snape again.

When she found the professor, he was standing in front of a book shop, not wand. He asked, “Did you meet anyone?”

“I met a Mrs. Weasley,” Ella said.

The man grunted giving off the impression of not caring for the woman too much, but Ella liked her. She really liked the kind woman who seemed to immediately mother anyone near her. It made Ella feel warm and fuzzy just thinking about this woman telling her to write them even though they hadn’t talked for more than five minutes. Ella and her professor bought the books on her list and other supplies on Ella would need for the school year. She decided to try to ask the man another thing she’d seen in a dream.

“Professor, do you know about a woman named Lily?” Snape blanched. Could this girl possibly know about Lily too? She knew about the Dark Mark on his arm so it wasn’t too surprising, but it still caught him off guard.

“Yes, but it was a long time ago,” he told her. She looked up at him with curious eyes; they were so much like Lily’s. If they hadn’t been blue he would have had trouble telling the two eyes apart. Ella, on the other hand, really didn’t know much about Lily. She dreamt of her mostly around the boy named Harry. No one ever told her these names, she somehow just knew them. There was one time, though, when Lily was around Snape, but it was so quick it made Ella wonder if she’d really seen it. This only confirmed it, yet with Snape’s response to the name, Ella didn’t really feel like asking him anymore questions.

The two finally went to get a wand, it was one of the last things on their list. Ella had really been looking forward to this. She had to control herself from asking when she’d get her wand every couple seconds. In reality, she hadn’t asked once, but through every shop, she had gotten excited and then slightly let down every time it hadn’t been the wand shop.

Walking inside Professor Snape sat down and Mr. Ollivander came around. He was very old and had misty eyes.

“And who might this be?” He asked Ella.

“Ella Worthington, sir,” she squeaked. He rummaged through some boxes and handed her a wand. “Twelve inches, Elm and dragon heart-string, very bendy, and quite favorable for transfiguration.” She moved her hand to give it a flick and he snatched it from her hands. “No of course not, sometimes these rumors are true.”

Before she could ask what rumors, he put another in her hands, “This is Hazel with a unicorn hair, nine inches, and squishy.” She waved it and the man took it again, surprising her. Ella couldn’t help but marvel at how incredible he must have been at his job to know so quickly when a wand isn’t right.

Finally he put one in her hand, murmuring, “I wonder.” She waved it and purple, blue, and green sparks flew from it into the air.

“Marvelous!” Mr. Ollivander shouted before relaying, “That would be Cypress, eleven and a half inches, and phoenix tail feather. It will suit you well for all subjects.” Snape felt himself grow pale he’d heard about the myths surrounding Cypress wands.

Mr. Ollivander looked at the eleven year old girl, “I’m always honored to give a wand of this quality to a witch or wizard. This is a marvelous combination in every way. I am certain we will see great things from you, Miss. Worthington.”

They left the store after paying for the wand and headed to the pet store. Ella glanced nervously at Snape, “He says that sort of thing to everyone, right? Like a way to make new witches and wizards feel excited about their futures?”

Snape glanced down at her, keeping his expression neutral, “Of course.”

Ella nodded, and quickly let herself forget the odd, foreboding feeling Ollivander’s words gave her in favor of finding a pet. There were hundreds of owls, rats, and toads around the store. She’d never been allowed to have a pet before, and she wanted to make sure that she picked the right one. She only had one shot at this after all. But as she peered into cages of tabby cats, a bulbous eyed toads, Ella had no idea what to pick. She’d seen most of the store before moving to the owl area. She kind of liked the idea of a cat because Muggles also had cats, but the owls looked so regal and beautiful that she couldn’t simply pick a cat and be satisfied, she needed to look at everything first. She looked at a couple snowy owls and a tawny owl when a flurry of feathery movement caught her eye. It was a beautiful barn owl with intelligent onyx eyes. Ella went up to the cage and saw the little bird ruffling its feathers. The bird watched her back, hooting at her.

“I would like this one,” Ella said to the professor who bought the owl and some treats for it. The store clerk said it was a wise choice and she would be excellent for mailing letters. Ella was full of energy carrying her stuff down Diagon Alley. She was going to a school of magic and was a witch and she had an owl and she met other people like her. It was like a dream come to life, quite literally. 

They rode the underground home and Ella had gotten out a book she’d bought earlier titled: Hogwarts Founders: Talents, Secrets, and Wonders. Each founder seemed to have a good house; she liked Ravenclaw and Gryffindor the best because she loved learning already and she really wanted to be brave enough to stand up to bullies like Allison. Hufflepuff also seemed like a good house because who wouldn’t like a house based in being far and nice? She just felt her priorities were more fixed in the other houses. Slytherin was the exception since its founder supposedly made a chamber to kill people like her, which definitely puts a damper on things.

“Have you decided on a name for your owl?” Professor Snape asked her, feeling as though he should say something.

“I think Rowena, like Rowena Ravenclaw,” she told the professor before turning back to her bird saying, “You like that don’t you?” Rowena hooted happily at her new name.

“That’s a very nice name.” He commented, simply. When they reached the house Snape explained to Ella’s parents that she would need to be at the train station on September first to travel to Hogwarts on Platform nine and three-quarters. It was rather difficult since her father wanted to throw numerous objects at the professor. It seemed that even with multiple hours to stew over what happened, her parents were still set on ignoring the existence of the man and magic. Though, with all the supplies already bought, they finally begrudgingly agreed that Ella would be allowed to go to school with other witches and wizards. Ella couldn’t believe her luck and now couldn’t wait for school to begin. She imagined herself actually making friends because no one would think she’s weird there. It seemed as though she’d get what she wished, no more Allison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, had some health issues pop up that made it hard to get on the computer, but now I'm back and ready to roll. Leave a comment or kudos if you liked it!


	3. Hogwarts Express

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not great about sticking to a single day, but I will continue to update once a week. Let me know what you think with kudos and/or comments!

September first seemed to be years away. Each day passed excruciatingly slow, and even though she marked off the days on the calendar, it seemed like time was standing still. With a week left she finally gained enough courage to ask her parents how she was going to get to the station. It was one of the only times they had spoken since she arrived home from Diagon Alley. Both looked at her as though they were at a loss to who she was, like she’d since become a stranger that’d snuck into their home. Some moments, they were downright cold to her, especially if they caught sight of anything magical. She didn’t know if they would ever come to terms with everything that had happened. She thought they’d be more civil or try to understand since she was their only child, but Ell had known from an early age she was an accident – one of the few mistakes her parents had made in their lives. The night before the first of the month, they gave her enough money to take a taxi to the station and get home when term ended plus a little spending money. Though no words were exchanged, it was the nicest gesture they’d given her since the news was broke to them.

At six am Ella woke up and knew she’d never get back to sleep. Instead of trying, she got ready to go as quiet as possible so her parents wouldn’t be disturbed by her. When it reached seven, her parents had already left, and she was ready to leave with her supplies and Rowena. The owl seemed to be equally excited for them to get out like she knew they were heading to the magic school. Ella called a taxi to take her to the train station. The taxi driver seemed to hesitate driving her, but she told him she had money and if he said no she would walk. For a moment, he contemplated the options before deciding he’d rather drive her than let her walk all that way alone. By eight she was at the train station between platforms nine and ten with nothing to do but wait, which was one of the things she wanted to do. She got out her texts books to read while the time passed. She focused mostly spells and such.

“Ella, is that you?” She turned around nearly an hour and a half later to see Angelina pushing a cart with her parents.

“Hello Angelina! I got here way too early, and I didn’t know how to get to the platform,” she said slightly embarrassed.

She laughed, “Watch us!” The girl and her parents then walked over to the section in between the platform and walked straight into a brick pillar separating the platforms. Ella blinked a few times, glancing back and forth to see if anyone else noticed a family of three disappear into a rather solid looking wall. No one paid it any mind. Ella couldn’t help but think how absolutely amazing magic was as she got up and pushed her cart where they had gone. Her stomach leapt into her throat as she got close to the barrier, but before she crashed, she found herself on another platform completely. It was filled with families who had toads, rats, owls, cats, and magical objects galore.

Parents were saying goodbye to their children as they got aboard a large scarlet train. On the side were the words: Hogwarts Express. She was in awe once more at this new world she belonged to. Pushing her cart she tried to find a place to get on the train without running into anyone else around her. She got to an opening and saw Mrs. Weasley.

“Ella, dear!” She exclaimed happily. “Where are your parents?”

“They didn’t want to come,” she informed the woman. There was no point in lying about it.

Mrs. Weasley’s smile faltered, “Even though you won’t see them until the holidays?”

“They won’t even speak with me, as though all this is my fault.”

Mrs. Weasley shook her head disapprovingly, “Some of these Muggles, they just don’t understand what family means. Write us anytime you want Ella, we’d love to hear how your year is going. What’s your owl’s name?”

“Rowena,” Ella stated beaming as the owl hooted cheerfully for being acknowledged.

“What a beautiful name! Off you go Ella,” she left and Ella looked after her as a group of three red-headed children came to say goodbye to their mother.

Soon enough she found a compartment that was empty. With a lot of difficulties she pushed her trunk into the overhead cage and put Rowena and her cage up there too. She watched out the window as parents gave their last goodbyes to their kids. For a moment Ella felt her throat get tight, but she had gotten used to her parents not wanting to show up to things. School plays, science fair – things they signed her up for but wanted nothing to do with themselves. The last few children hoped aboard as the train let out a whistle and started to move away.

Slow at first then growing in speed. Parents waved to their kids as their windows passed and younger siblings like the two youngest Weasleys chased the train until it had turned a corner and left the station. Ella could feel her excitement bubbling up higher with the train’s speed. She watched rolling, green fields pass by, enjoying the peace that came with sitting on the train and knowing she was really here. Then her compartment door opened.

A girl with blond hair and kind brown eyes walked in with her trunk.

She nervously asked, “Is anyone else in here?”

“Nope, just me,” Ella replied, “But you’re welcome to stay. I really don’t need this much space to myself.” The girl nodded with a shy smile, and they both pushed the trunk into the other cage along with the girl’s owl.

“I’m Ella Worthington.”

“Katie Bell.” The girl said, both girls relaxing a little more.

“Are your parents magic or muggle?” Ella asked wanting to know.

Katie’s eyes narrowed a bit, “They’re magic, why? Does that matter to you?”

Ella shook her head, “Quite the opposite actually, my parents are both Muggles.”

“Oh, sorry, there are people here, that I heard think they’re superior to Muggle-Borns. I didn’t know if you were one of them,” Katie explained apologetically.

“That’s alright, I understand,” she returned the smile.

“What house do you want to be in?” Katie asked happy to move on.

Ella thought for a second, “Gryffindor, I think. Don’t let my owl fool you, her name’s Rowena. I think Gryffindor would be a better house for me then Ravenclaw.”

Katie nodded, “I want to be in Gryffindor too. Hopefully we’ll be together, I heard you get to share a dorm if you do!”

Ella smiled at the idea of sharing a room with Katie, “That’d be excellent! Now, do you know anything about Quidditch?” 

She seemed thrilled to hear me mention the sport, “Oh yes, it’s marvelous! I love playing Quidditch, too bad first years can’t.”

“Well, can you explain what it is to me? I don’t know much,” Ella said somewhat embarrassed.

Katie launched into a full out explanation of the sport and the players. She told her about the snitch, Quaffle, and Bludgers. She described that the Seeker gets the snitch while the two Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their teammates. A Keeper keeps the Quaffle from going into the three different goal posts.

“There are three Chasers who try to score on the Keeper with the Quaffle,” Katie said.

“I think you’d be a great Chaser,” Ella told her.

She beamed, “That’s what I’m going to try out for! But you haven’t even seen me so you can’t know if I’d be any good.”

Ella smiled back, “I’m sure you’ll make it! I don’t need to see you play, but you should watch out for a Bludger your first match!”

“Oh, how adorable, a Blood Traitor is teaching a MudBlood about Quidditch,” a boy sneered.

The girls jumped to their feet at the sight of four boys all in robes with a snake on their chest. Ella didn’t know what either of those words meant, but was sure that they weren’t good.

“Slytherins,” Katie practically hissed, “what d’you think you’re doing here? Got nothing better to do then pick on a couple of first years?”

“Just seeing what’s coming in, doesn’t look good, does it? Another MudBlood,” the boy went on saying and the others laughed. Katie and Ella drew their wands and Ella thought hard about a spell she could use. There’d been one in her book she’d seen that stuck people’s tongues to the roof of their mouth. That seemed appropriate, though she couldn’t remember the words to make it happen.

“Now, Warrington, we aren’t bullying first years or using such foul language are we?” Angelina’s voice said loudly. “I think you remember well enough what happened the last time I heard you use language like that.” The boys hurried away. “The nerve of some people!” Angelina snorted walking into the compartment with another boy and girl. They all had dark eyes and hair as well as tanned skin and could have been related for all Ella knew.

Quickly Ella said, “Angelina, this is Katie Bell. Katie, this is Angelina Johnson.” They said hi to each other and shook hands.

Katie said, “We were talking about Quidditch before they showed up. Ella thinks I’m going to be a Chaser!”

Ella nodded, letting her excitement wash over her, “We’ll not just you. Angelina and this other girl are going to try out this year, and you three will be the best Gryffindor chasers the team has seen in years!”

Angelina blushed slightly, “How d’you know?”

“I’ve seen it! The three of you on brooms passing the Quaffle back and forth while scoring goals!” Ella exclaimed happily. The moment it left her mouth, she knew she had screw up. 

Everyone looked at her with odd expressions on their faces. “You’ve seen it?” The girl beside Angelina asked, looking a bit uneasy.

Ella quickly explained, “Well, you see, I have these dreams. They’re super realistic and lately they’ve been coming true. It just happens, and I’m not sure why. But a woman I met at Diagon Alley said that it must be a gift I have or something…” Ella was sure they’d outlaw her as a freak for being able to see bits of the future or just having strange dreams. It’d be the same thing that happened at her last school. Instead they shrugged as if to just accept that was the way she was.

“You must have some Seer way back in your bloodline,” the other girl said.

The boy spoke next in a very familiar voice, “Well, where are our manners? I’m Lee, Lee Jordan. This is Alicia Spinnet and you seem to know our dear Angelina already. We are going to be second years, but never fear, we don’t bully first years! And come to think of it, I’m not sure I want to bully a first year who might know my future – seems like a poor choice even for me.”

“Ever thought of being the announcer for Quidditch games? You might want to try out for it,” Ella said, happy to see him smile.

“No way I’d be allowed to! I’m biased, Gryffindor all the way,” Lee said, laughing.

They laughed with him and Ella said, “It might make the matches more…interesting if you are!”

After a few hours a trolley came by asking for if they wanted food. Ella looked down at her feet knowing she shouldn’t spend the little money she’d brought on the very first day and wouldn’t be getting anything. The others noticed right away and bought extra food to share with Ella and everyone else.

“Here try these Ella, they really hop like frogs!” Alicia said handing me a container with Chocolate Frog written on it. She was amazed by it as it acted like a real frog. She had to trap it in order to eat it, though she felt a little strange about eating something that looked so alive. Her friends quickly convinced her it really was just a charm and it would be okay. Then she noticed a card at the bottom of the packet. It had a witch on it and Lee’s eyes widened.

“I’ll give you all my Pumpkin Pasties and Licorice Wands for that card!” He said excitedly.

Ella gave him the card as he pushed all the treats over to her, asking, “What’s so important about the card?”

“I’ve been looking for Circe forever! She’s one of the only cards I haven’t got, but now I do!” Lee said happily.

Angelina smiled and tossed her another frog, “Here, start your collection, but if it’s Agrippa I want it.” Ella nodded and was pleased to see it was Albus Dumbledore. She had seen him in several dreams and enjoyed knowing her first card was her Headmaster.

“Wait!” Alicia, Katie, Lee, and Angelina yelled as she was about to pop some sort of bean in her mouth. It was green and looked like her favorite type of Jelly Bean.

“What?” She asked completely terrified she’d done something wrong. There were five boxes of the beans so she was sure she hadn’t taken someone’s box.

Alicia quickly explained, “Those are Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, they mean every flavor. You get some good ones like chocolate, cherry tarts, and marshmallow, but you can also get vomit, earwax, and trout!” Ella’s eyes widened as she looked at the container. They no longer seemed to be innocent candies.

Lee noticed he look on her face and quickly said, “I’ll eat mine with you Ella! We’ll brave it out together.” Everyone soon joined their braveness and tried as many colors as they could. Ella, Lee, and Angelina became victorious in eating all their beans even though quite a few they had wanted to spit out the taste was so foul.

Katie laughed, “Ella, I’m sure you’ll be in Gryffindor now. How many people are brave enough to try every bean in a Bertie Bott’s container?”

Ella smiled and Lee said, “I dunno I think it’s more of stupidity then bravery!”

He was hit by Ella, “You ate them all too, now who’s stupid?” It had grown dark and everyone got into their robes. The second years had their robes with their Gryffindor lion and colors on them while Katie’s and Ella’s were still plain.

“I think I’ll be going back to the twins now,” Lee informed them, sliding out the compartment door.

Ella started getting nervous and Katie kept wiping her hands on her robes and then clasping them together. Neither of them had any idea how they got sorted into their houses. Katie’s parents wanted it to be a surprise for her, much to Katie’s dismay. The two had broken out Ella books to try and suck in any knowledge they thought they’d need or get any hint of what it might be. Angelina and Alicia had started talking about their tryouts and what they couldn’t wait to do when they had arrived at the castle. Neither would give either first year the slight clue of what was coming for them.

The train stopped and everyone started to get out. Ella and Katie hopped off and looked around for where they should go. They couldn’t see anything right now.

“Firs’ years this way, c’mon, firs’ years!” A voice bellowed. A large man who was several feet taller than the average man and just as wide was trying to round up all the first year students. She had seen him in a dream and heard his name even. He waved a hand that was the size of a trash can lid and yelled for everyone to come forward.

Ella ran up and smiled at the friendly giant, “Hello Hagrid!” He smiled at her through his mane of tangled hair and beard.

His beetle black eyes looked down at her and he said, “Hello there! You mus’ be Ella, Dumbledore’s told me about yeh. He said to make sure yeh go to his office straigh’ after dinner. Had stuff ter talk to yeh abou’.” Ella nodded, feeling twice as nervous now that the Headmaster already wanted to talk to her. Professor Snape had probably mentioned something to him after they met; she just hoped she wasn’t in trouble.

Hagrid started to walk forward and the scared group of kids followed behind. They went up a narrow path and as they got closer to a lake several kids gasped. On top of a mountain was a vast castle with many bright window as well as towers and turrets. They were all hypnotized by the grand sight and hardly realized that they were going to walk into the lake until Hagrid stopped them all.

“No more’n four in a boat,” Hagrid bellowed. Katie and Ella stepped into a boat that had another boy and girl in it. The boats magically started to go across the lake to the castle. Ella couldn’t believe she was going to live in a castle; it was like she was a princess. Though, she was more excited to be a witch than a princess. They finally go to the school and got out of the boats.

Hagrid turned to the group with a large smile on his face, “Lemme be the firs’ ter welcome yeh to Hogwarts.”


	4. The Sorting Hat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's this weeks chapter! Enjoy and as always, feel free to let me know what you think!

After getting off the boats, the children were led into a grand room by a stern woman named Professor McGonagall. She told them to be patient and wait inside the area until she came back for them. She gazed at each of them, as though she were sorting through them herself before exiting swiftly, her emerald robes flowing behind her. Each child shivered, terrified of what they might have to do.

“My brother said something about battling a magical creature!”

“I heard it was doing as many spells as you could!”

“No way, I think you have to do an obstacle course!” Kids were whispering loudly, trying to see what they could find out. Ella looked at Katie and both could see they were equally scared. No one seemed to have the slightest idea of what they might face in the next room, but no one had any ideas that didn’t make Ella’s stomach twist. Surely, they wouldn’t force an eleven year old to fight a magical creature – that would be too cruel. Professor McGonagall walked back in, and the air felt stagnant. Every whisper died down immediately, and the color rushed out of everyone’s faces so quickly it seemed they might faint on the spot.

“If you would please follow me in a single file line,” the professor said strictly. Ella got behind Katie and a blond boy stepped in behind her. They walked into another room and gasped as they took in the grandness of it all. Ella looked at the four long tables taking up a majority of the hall as well as the one holding older witches and wizards in front of them. She was amazed when she looked up and saw the ceiling was enchanted to show the night sky. Stars were blossoming between magically floating candles. Ella wondered for a moment at whether the wax still dripped below onto students or if that part was also somehow enchanted, but she couldn’t dwell on the logistics for long. Professor McGonagall set a stool and hat down in front of all the new students and the rest of the classes. Everyone grew immensely quiet as they leaned forward towards the hat.

Without warning a large tear near the brim opened and, as Ella stared at the clothing in disbelief, it began to sing:

_I once was young_

_I hadn’t a single tear_

_But time has frayed me_

_And I’m needing repair_

_Yet my words are true_

_My placings just_

_Put me on_

_I’m someone to trust_

_I’ll put you with Gryffindor_

_Brave and daring_

_You’ll be accepted_

_These folk are caring_

_Maybe with Hufflepuff you’ll be_

_Friendly and loyal_

_A crowd who’s modest_

_So unafraid of toil_

_Perhaps Slytherin is your place_

_Ambitious and cunning_

_Famous in their kind_

_That leave the weak running_

_Last Ravenclaw could I put you_

_Smart and creative_

_If you have wisdom_

_You’ll be a native_

_So come on down_

_Don’t be shy_

_Put me on your head_

_I never lie!_

The hall erupted in applause when the song ended, and the hat had become still once more. It was amazing. Not only the fact that they’re greeted to the school by a singing hat, but also that all they had to do was wear that hat. That seemed easy. She could feel her shoulders sagging, though the in the back of her head, she wondered where this hat might think she belongs. 

“When I call your name please come up and sit on the stool,” Professor McGonagall announced to the first years, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Bell, Katie.” Katie froze, hearing her name first. Ella gave her a nudge, trying to break her out of her terror. She glanced over her shoulder at Ella before slowly and cautiously walking up to the hat and sitting on the stool.

The hat contemplated for only a second before shouting, “GRYFFINDOR!” The table on the far left erupted in applause and hollers of excitement. Katie beamed and quickly moved to sit next to Angelina at the Gryffindor table. Ella felt her nerves spike as the group they’d sat with on the train started patting her on the back. She forced herself to look away and watch as more kids were called up.

“Chang, Cho.”

“RAVENCLAW!” Ella couldn’t keep focused on the students and where they went. There wren’t many of them, something Ella found a bit odd, but there were still enough students that her stomach turned as each were sorted and she was still there. What if she was the last? What if something went wrong for her? Angelina and Alicia were smiling at her and trying to encourage her that everything would be okay. Katie was waving from her seat between Lee and Angelina. He kept pointing at a seat next to two identical red-headed boys. As though he were saying that if Ella were sorted into Gryffindor she had to sit there.

“Worthington, Ella.” Professor McGonagall yelled. Ella felt a sigh escape her lips as there were still two more who had to wait and walked up to the stool. She sat down and the hat covered her eyes as it was placed on her. The entire great hall melted away, and all Ella was left with, was the darkness of the hat.

“Well, well, well,” the hat said, causing Ella to jump slightly, “brilliant mind, yes. I haven’t seen a mind so great a mind in such a while. You’re Muggle-Born so Slytherin would be an unnecessary burden. There’s kindness and caring, though ambition does shine through. Not too fond of Slytherin or Hufflepuff still. I see great bravery and caring for friends, yet I sense Ravenclaw blood flowing through your veins. The brilliant mind, gifts to help lead you forward. Yes, Ravenclaw seems like a potent choice, despite the a hidden courageousness in your nature. Maybe Ravenclaw? But maybe not. I feel as though I can hear Rowena Ravenclaw’s voice urging me to put you in Gryffindor. I think I shall, but you are certainly one in the same with what a Ravenclaw must be, child. I must say though, GRYFFINDOR!”

She ran over to the table as they cheered for her still dazed by the dizzying, one-sided conversation the hat had whispered in her ears. She sat next to the red-headed twins and watched the remaining two be put into Slytherin. She couldn’t believe that the hat put her in Gryffindor – she really couldn’t understand the absolute indecision the hat faced with Ravenclaw. How had the hat heard the voice of someone she knew had been dead for centuries?

“Hello, I’m Fred Weasley,” the red-head next to her said.

“And I’m George,” said the other.

“We’re twins, just so you know. I know we look pretty different.” said Fred. She looked at them both and couldn’t help but laugh. They looked almost completely identical.

“I’m Ella,” she said smiling.

“What took so long? You were a Hatstall, you sat on there for five minutes, that’s really rare!” Lee exclaimed to Ella.

“It couldn’t decide where to put me, said something about having Ravenclaw blood or something. But it still wanted to put me in Gryffindor!” Ella explained to the boys.

“Wow and to think mine said _Another Weasley_,” George joked. “Didn’t help that it had back to back Weasleys, but it still could’ve hid it a little better.” She smiled at the twins. They were extremely talkative and constantly cracking jokes. Ella wasn’t sure when she last laughed so hard. She found herself relaxing and slowly forgetting the weirdness she felt during her sorting. Ella was chatting with the twins just as much as they were to her. When the feast had ended Dumbledore stood and started his speech.

“Welcome all the new students and old as well. I’d like to remind you that the forest is forbidden from all students and that this year shall be a great one. Now time for the school song!” He waved his wand and lyrics shot out on ribbons. “Any tempo you feel will be perfectly fine.” Ella stared at the ribbons as the words appeared like a karaoke machine.

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they’re bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we’ve forgot,_

_Just do your best, we’ll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot._

Ella couldn’t even bring herself to join in, too busy listening to the rest of the hall’s shouts and eclectic rhythms. Fred and his brother decided over the summer to do a funeral march to the song and were the last ones doing it. The twins could see Ella trying not to giggle at the two. It was one of the strangest moments she’d had at a school, but it made perfect sense to her. Hogwarts seemed to be everything she hoped it would be.

Everyone started to leave the Great Hall and Ella remembered she had to see Dumbledore. She told the twins right when she remembered as they were making their way to the staircase in a gaggle of Gryffindors. To her surprise they wanted to go with her.

“We’d wait outside the door of course, but you don’t know your way around so it’d be terrible for you to be wandering about the castle without the slightest idea of where to go!” Fred said and they started to lead her to Dumbledore’s office.

“Besides, Fred and I know the way by heart! Been there many of times last year,” George said proudly as though it were the best thing they’d done. They reached the office and stopped.

“Blimey, I don’t know the password,” Fred said bewildered. “It’s too early in the year for them to have given it to us.”

Ella gave him a look of disbelief, “You’re joking, right?”

Fred tutted, “We joke about many things, but I’m dead serious about our record-setting headmaster visits.”

“D’you know the password, Ella? Did Hagrid mention it?” George asked her.

Ella shook her head, “No, but I can certainly guess. Licorice Wands.” The gargoyle leapt out of the way and revealed the spiral staircase that led to Dumbledore’s office. The twins and Ella walked up and entered the office.

Dumbledore smiled, “Ah, Ella and the Weasley twins how nice. Unless you boys are starting exceptionally early this year...”

“No, no, Professor, sorry. They were just showing me the way to your office and then the dormitory when we were done with our meeting,” Ella explained, and Dumbledore nodded.

“Quite understandable, though, I must put a charm on you both so you won’t hear what we say,” Dumbledore informed them. They nodded, looking a bit confused at the headmaster’s decision. The old man flicked his wand towards them, casting an odd light over the two. “Now, Ella, I wish to talk to you about this gift of yours. Professor Snape was telling me that you had an inexplicable way of knowing things you shouldn’t for someone for a Muggle household. I believe he phrased you gift as dreaming a good deal of things that have truth to them.”

She nodded, “Well, I just see things. I really don’t understand it much yet, since until a little bit ago they were only dreams to me. There are things that I know from dreams when I was little, like the castle and some professors – like you. But other things haven’t happened yet. Like I’ve seen the twins as Beaters for Gryffindor as well as most of the team for next year, because my friend Katie is going to be a Chaser, but she said first years can’t be on the team. So I must have seen next year then, y’know? I’ve seen other things too professor, things that I think are from the past, but not often and it might just be old dreams that come back. It being real is all very new to me. Though, a lot of what I’ve seen pertains to one boy, and I really don’t know much about him.”

“Might I ask who the boy is?”

“I believe his name is Harry Potter, Professor,” Ella told him, studying his electric blue eyes. For a moment an emotion flashed in them akin to weariness or uneasiness, but it was gone too fast for Ella to fully grasp what she’d seen.

The old man nodded, “Yes, well, I must say some things you see appear to be quite harmless to be told to others, but some dreams of the future could have a heavy impact on different events. Since we do not know the extent of this ability, I advise you to not say a word about a future you see unless it is a nearly meaningless thing. Understand?” Ella nodded thoroughly understanding and feeling a bit of fear at what all she could do at the moment. “Good, if it proves to be too hard to keep from talking to others about the potential future, you must inform me. With a power such as this, I would be concerned about what parts of the future could accidentally be changed based on accidental comments or remarks. You must be careful with abilities like this, especially since we don’t know everything about them. Now off to bed with you!” Ella felt her breathing pick up and she blinked a couple of times as his somber expression morphed back into a pleasant one. He flicked his wand at the twins who could hear again, and they left the office together. Ella tried to still her heart as they made their way down the office’s stairway.

“What did he want?” George asked.

“Just to say I shouldn’t try to give out any big information about the future because they could change what’s supposed to happen,” Ella informed the boys who nodded. They got to a portrait of a Fat Lady and the boys gave her the password. Habberdashkins.

“You’re dorm will be over there with a sign saying first years on it,” George told her.

“See you in the morning,” said Fred smiling as she climbed the stairs slowly moving out of sight.

George looked at his twin, “What do you think of her?”

“She’s nice and funny, don’t you think?” Fred replied as they went to their own dorm.

“Yeah...do you reckon she really can see the future?” George silently added. He believed her, especially if Dumbledore did, but he’d never heard of such a thing before.

Fred shrugged, “I don’t think she’d have any reason to lie, and everyone else seemed to believe they’ve heard her tell them the future.”

“Can you believe she offered to help with prank ideas? I think we’re gonna be great friends.” George said. Fred nodded at that and thought the same as his twin.


	5. Quidditch Tryouts

School started the next day and finding classes was exceptionally hard for Ella and Katie. Angelina and Alicia tried giving them directions to each class in the most straightforward path. Fred, George, and Lee then confused them by trying to give them the shortcuts and hidden pathways that would make things quicker. After a week or two, Katie and Ella finally were getting into a routine. The two along with Alicia, Angelina, Lee, and the twins were inseparable. Ella also was in love with every class she took, finding that magical spells, potions, and history were all fascinating. It was like learning an entirely new world that had been sitting under the nose of the one she’d originally been from. Ella, without trying to, was top of the year in everything. To her frustration, she couldn’t completely escape bullying even in the wizarding world. The Professor Snape who whisked her from her parents’ house was a thing of the past. Ella felt that her being sorted into Gryffindor was a personal insult to the Head of Slytherin. The second she stepped foot in his class, he was looking for anyway to take points away from her now. Ella kept her mouth shut, not wanting a reputation for mouthing off to teachers. Other Slytherins were also nasty since they quickly realized Ella had Muggle parents. She didn’t think that was any reason to cause a fuss, she’d never thought her parents could somehow be looked down on, but those with “pure blood” had found plenty of fault with Ella’s family.

Between learning more about being a witch and staying clear of bullies, Ella found solace in the easy nature of the twin. Fred and George quickly started their pranking escapades, and Ella found herself helping a lot. She’d never really been one to prank before, probably because she hadn’t had anyone to do it with and the last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself. With the twins, however, she still wasn’t the center of attention. The three would brainstorm different ideas, just spitting them out around tables in the common room while working on homework. If one stood out to the boys, they’d start making plans, allowing Ella to inject at various moments. She didn’t really like the idea of participating too much, afraid that if she were caught, she might be sent home to her parents and a magicless life one more. The one time she did help, she got them away so they wouldn’t get in trouble. Sometimes when plotting different ideas, the boys would get in way over their heads, and Ella took it upon herself to reign them in a bit.

About a month into the school year, the twins went to the Owlery to send a letter home.

_Dear Mum,_

_ We are having a great term so far. It feels like we hadn’t even left for the summer. We were talking again with Lee and our other friends almost immediately, and we’ve made a new friend. She’s a first year and very funny, nice, and smart! Her name is Ella, and we think you’d really like her. She thinks we are going to be Beaters on the Quidditch team this year. Tryouts are coming up very soon, and while we’re somewhat nervous, we think she’s right. Our grades are going well enough, and we promise we aren’t getting too many detentions._

_ Love Gred and Forge_

They attached the letter to Errol, the family owl, and watched as it flew away. While the boys contemplated their tryouts, Ella had her own worries. Ella was nervous when it was announced there would be flying lessons for first years. All her classmates kept bragging that they were exceptional flyers, but Ella had never touched a broomstick in her life unless it was to clean. The closest she’d come to flying were a couple rollercoasters she’d been on as well as a few plane rides. None of them really felt comparable to broomsticks when she thought about it. 

They walked out on the field for their lesson with the Slytherins. There were brooms set out in the grass in two line, and the students went to stand beside the brooms. Gryffindors stayed to the right side while Slytherins stood to the left. Madam Hooch wasn’t there yet so the students still could talk to each other, or in Ella’s case let her nerves swell up and get the best of her. Her knees were already shaking and she resisted the urge to bit her thumb nail.

“You’ll do fine Ella, most of the people that are boasting won’t be very good anyways,” Katie assured her. Katie had boasted a bit the day before in their transfigurations class and Ella knew she was good at flying, so she didn’t find Katie’s words very comforting.

“Of course, this group is _lucky. _We’ll all be better than the MudBlood,” Jonathon Zahareth, a particularly nasty Slytherin, jeered from across the grass. Katie’s fists clenched as did Ella’s. She learned quickly that MudBlood was a terrible name for someone with Muggle parents. At first, Ella didn’t think it would bother her, she’d never grown up hearing things about blood purity. But as time went on, it began getting under her skin to hear others look down on her just because of her parents. Zahareth seemed to flaunt his pureblood status ten times as much as any other Slytherin in their year. It annoyed the other houses greatly.

“I’d say my blood is much cleaner than yours, Zahareth,” Ella spat.

He sneered, “But my parents are from long lines of pure witches and wizards, your parents are Muggles.” The Slytherins around him made faces and acted as though a Muggle was a disease. “You’ll never know what it means to be from a wizarding family. You’ll always be an outsider, a filthy, little – ”

“Alright, settle down!” Madam Hooch hollered, striding across the grounds to the class. “Now everyone I want you listening to what I say. Flying can be dangerous, and I want no injuries on my hands. First thing’s first, place your hands over your brooms and yell UP.”

Most kids started yelling up immediately, though Ella noticed a lot of the people who’d been boasting before looked a lot more nervous. For a majority of the two houses, nothing happened. Zahareth was one of them. Ella looked at her broom and then at Katie. On Katie’s first try her broom came into her hands.

“Up,” Ella said, and the broom did nothing. Her eyes flicked to Katie for a moment, then back down at the broom. “UP!” She yelled to it and the broom shot up into her hands with enough force to make her stagger a bit. Zahareth gave a nasty glare to the two Gryffindor girls and it took five more minutes for the group of first years to get their brooms in their hands.

“Alright, now I want you to get up on your broom and on my whistle, you’ll jump a few feet into the air, hover for a moment or two, and then come back down,” Madam Hooch ordered. Ella and Katie grinned at each other, Katie knew exactly how this would feel, but Ella could only imagine the feeling of being in the air with nothing but magic supporting her. Her nerves felt electrified by the thought of it. She watched the whistle, glistening in Madam Hooch’s hand. As soon as she heard the shrill noise, Ella jumped up, admittedly higher than she should have, where she hovered for a quick moment before going back down. Several students had troubles with this, whether they were jumping far beyond what they should’ve or couldn’t get the broom off the ground, it seemed Katie had been right about the people bragging. All the worrying Ella had done was for nothing, she might not have been a perfect flyer, but she certainly wasn’t the worst student on the grounds today. Everything they learned Katie would expertly execute while Ella might have been a little slow to start but would adjust soon enough to what they were doing. She learned a lot quicker than most people – a trait Ella had even in Muggle schooling. Both girls would shoot smirks at Zahareth who was having immense trouble with his broom.

“That. Was. Brilliant!” Katie said emphasizing each word. The girls were walking back to the common room after their successful flying lesson.

“Did you see the look on Zahareth’s face when we were able to spin around and shoot into the air while he could hardly keep his feet off the ground?” Ella asked laughing at the scowl she hoped would stick in her memory. Katie laughed and nodded. They got in the common room to see the twins and Lee waiting for them while doing some homework. 

“I’m going to fall asleep if I have to read the International Warlock Convention of 1289 one more time!” Lee said letting his head fall on his book.

“I think I’m going to just die of boredom!” Fred groaned.

“Oh, please do, you’d be doing everyone a favor,” Ella said teasingly.

Fred looked up and grinned, “Wow, still in one piece I see.”

George went along with his brother, “We thought they’d be scraping you off the field by now!”

“Nope, we were excellent. It was everything I could’ve hope for but keep talking. I’m going to be watching your tryouts tomorrow,” Ella said grinning mischievously.

“I’d like to point out that your stakes were much lower,” George quickly interjected, both boys having gone pale.

Ella shrugged, “And I’d like to point out that Quidditch games are high stakes themselves so this shouldn’t be any issue for you.”

Both huffed at that, and with Ella’s prompting, they worked to finish their homework. Ella noticed they both enjoyed any means of distraction when they had to do homework, but Ella was raised to always get her homework done on time, and that mindset hadn’t shifted since she moved to Hogwarts. With all the work they needed done for the evening, they all went to bed.

Ella felt herself tossing and turning in bed. Ever since she arrived at school and realized that her dreams weren’t as innocent as they seemed, she became frightened and weary of them. If Dumbledore had been concerned enough to talk to her in his office, then maybe she should be frightened as well. Certain, the dreams themselves had been tainted by knowing what she saw was real. There were some dreams that showed good things happening, like the Quidditch team, but some were darker and she was worried about a car driving into the Whomping Willow or a man in a turban fainting in the middle of the Great Hall. When morning had come, Ella felt as though she had gotten barely any sleep, and the twins didn’t look like they had faired any better.

“Ready to become Beaters?” Ella said, smiling and trying to shake off any uneasiness from the night before. Today, her friends needed her to be excited and happy for them, not afraid. Fred, George, Angelina, and Alicia weren’t touching any of their food at breakfast. The girls were both looking at what little they put on their plate in disgust while the twins pushed around their food to different corners of their plates. When it was time, they left to go to the Quidditch pitch and Ella followed with Lee and Katie.

“I thought you were trying out for the commentator?” Ella asked him.

He laughed, “Position is filled for this year, but they’re in their seventh year, so next year I’ll go for it!” 

She got into the stands and one by one those who were trying out came on the field. Everyone looked insanely nervous and some were talking, but Ella couldn’t hear them from inside the stands. The captain, Charlie Weasley, came out and started to give instruction. He flew up and the Keeper, Oliver Wood, went to the goal post. Angelina rose into the air.

“Go Angelina!” Ella yelled with Lee and Katie. She hadn’t heard her. Ella felt nervous for Angelina and watched as Charlie passed her the Quaffle and she shot seven goals. She made every one of them. Alicia was up next and got four goals. Two seventh years got four goals as well.

“Are you ready for that to be you next year?” Ella giggled, nudging Katie in the ribs. Katie rolled her eye and laughed a little. Even a year out, she looked more than a bit nervous.

Next came the Beater tryouts. Fred and George went first and did an amazing job, hitting Bludgers at the different targets that were made for them. The next people weren’t so good, even Ella who’d yet to see a Quidditch game knew they weren’t cut out for the position they were going for. Their aim sent several Bludgers at teammates instead of targets, and one person even managed to almost hit people on the ground who had just finished trying out.

Lee and Ella started talking and weren’t paying attention, Katie didn’t even feel the need to stay for the rest of tryouts and went to get some homework done. She insisted that it’d be best to also stop by the Great Hall for lunch and pick up some things so their friends could eat once they no longer had a reason to be nervous. Lee and Ella opted to stay so they could hear the results of the tryouts and be there for their friends when it as over. Without any time to react, Ella felt something incredibly hard hit the side of her face and everything went black.

~

Ella blinked, pushing herself into a seated position, “What – ow – happened?”

“Careful now, a Bludger is a nasty thing to have hitting your head, especially when you’re not expecting it, but you’ll be alright,” Charlie explained. Fred and George stood next to him looking equally white in the face. Lee lay in the next bed still unconscious.

“Please tell me the one who hit the Bludger at us isn’t on the team,” Ella said, lying back down.

“Nope, we made the team. Angelina did too, and Alicia is a reserve!” George said happily. Ella smiled at the great news.

“Excellent, I told you, you’d make it. Now, when will I be able to leave?” Ella asked curiously.

Charlie smiled, “I wish I could take a hit like that and be ready to go. Madam Pomfrey said you’d be able to leave as soon as you woke up, but you might have a slight headache. She also said if you get blurry vision or faint that you should come back right away.”

She sat up again and leaned her feet over the edge of her bed, ready to get out of there and finish up her assignment for History of Magic. She certainly had a headache – it definitely wasn’t little, though. The twins helped her stand and made sure she was steady before letting go.

“What about Lee?” Ella asked through clenched teeth.

“He has to stay overnight, he got hit dead on. Maybe you should too, you know. To rest up and leave in the morning,” Fred said trying to hide his worry.

George, trying to do the same, said, “It’s obvious that you’re in pain, you should stay here.”

Ella sat back down on the bed and after a few minutes got under the covers once more, “I’m leaving tomorrow though, I have homework that needs to be finished.” The boys nodded and left her to sleep since it was getting late in the castle as well.

When they were nearly to the Common Room, Charlie turned on his brothers, “Some girl, huh? Came to watch you try out, and bounces back pretty quick... You two really her, don’t you?”

The twins smiled and said simultaneously, “Yeah.”

Their brother grinned, “I think she’s sweet, and a good influence for you two, which, though I’m not to Percy’s level, I can believe would be good for you anyway. Maybe she’d like to come over for the Christmas holidays? If it’s alright with her parents that is.”

The twins looked up in shock, “That’d be great-”

“Wonderful-”

“Amazing-”

“Okay, okay, I get the point, you’d love it,” Charlie said laughing at their enthusiasm. “I think you two have a crush on her.”

“No!” Both yelled, Fred’s slipping out a little too quickly.

George said, earnestly, “She understands us and is different. She knows more than others here, which is really neat and loves our jokes. She’s _only_ a friend.”

Fred nodded and stammered, “We wouldn’t like her like _that_!”

George finishing his brother’s statement said, “Course not.”

Charlie rolled his eyes, “Right, right.” He watched his brothers move over to their friend group to tell them how Ella and Lee were doing. Charlie sat down on the opposite side of the common room and decided to write a letter to his parents.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_ School is going excellent so far. Care of Magical Creatures is still my favorite subject, and I’m making sure my grades are good enough for N.E.W.T.S. Percy is studying hard like always and the twins just made the Quidditch team. They are getting close to a sweet girl named Ella. I like her, she seems nice. The boys tell me they have no crush on her, but I don’t know how long that will last or if they’re even being truthful now. She took a nasty Bludger to the head while watching the Quidditch tryouts. I had to practically pull Fred and George out of the hospital wing._

_ It might be too soon to ask, but I think Fred and George would love it if Ella could come to the Burrow for the Christmas holiday, depending on her parents’ plans. Everything is going wonderfully, and I can’t wait to hear how things are at home. Give Ron and Ginny my love._

_Charlie _

He was intent on sending the letter in the morning and then would wait for Ella to send an owl to her parents’ house. He really did like the girl a lot. He had seen her in the common room studying and being a good friend for his brothers. Not that their other friends weren’t great, but Ella struck him as someone they’d attached to immediately. He humored himself with an image of one of the twins holding hands with her. If it came down to it, he wouldn’t mind being a brother-in-law to her. Though, something like that wouldn’t happen for a long time, if it ever did. He could settle with being just an older brother to her, Merlin knows he’s had plenty of practice with that.


	6. Letters and Predictions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Remember to kudos or comment if you enjoyed the chapter!

“Ickle firstie, lost?” Peeves taunted Ella as she walked around trying to find the Owlery.

“Yes, but I know you, you won’t help me,” she muttered at the poltergeist. He cackled, puffed out her cheeks to her making a loud, crude noise, and then burst away. Ella rolled her eyes before once more trying to find the Owlery. She figured if she kept going up in the towers, she’d find it eventually, but so far, she hadn’t been having much luck. She knew where all her classes were, she even knew where most of her friends’ classes were, but Ella had never sent a letter by owl, and apparently, telephones and email had yet to make their way to Hogwarts. After nearly thirty minutes of searching, Ella finally made her way to a room filled with owls, their feathers, and the off-putting smell of very crowded barn. Ella held her letter tightly until she finally found Rowena, or more accurately, Rowena found her. Ella carefully tied her letter to the barn owl and as she held out her foot.

Ella stroked her soft head and Rowena hooted affectionately, “Take this to my parents, try not to scare them if you can. I’m not sure how they’ll respond to a bird delivering mail. I suppose it’s not entirely magical, as we did it in the past, but I doubt they’ll look at it that way.” Rowena hooted again as if to say she understood, and then took off. Ella couldn’t wait for the reply. She was sure her parents wouldn’t care where she went for Christmas as long as it wasn’t home. Halloween was right around the corner by now and Ella kept having dreams of the boy. She was now certain his name was Harry Potter and he had survived an attack when he was about one year old. His parents died leaving him to be with his aunt and uncle, and the only thing he had to show the attack was a lightning scar on his forehead.

There were images of people shaking his hands and people saying You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gave him the scar. Ella wanted to know who Voldemort was and why people feared him. Percy Weasley was the person she decided to go to. She didn’t talk to him nearly as often as the twins or even Charlie, but he was always full of information when Ella did talk to him. She learned so much around him, but she found him a little pompous at times.

“Hello Percy,” she said smiling. He had liked Ella right away, seeing her as very smart and well behaved. It slightly baffled him how the twins liked her so much since she seemed more studious than they’d ever been, but Percy had secret hopes that her calm demeanor might rub off on them. Ella took care not to talk about anything other than school or magical history with Percy, which is why she assumed he thought they were so similar.

“Oh, hello Ella, I hear you might be coming to the Burrow for Christmas?” He asked her.

Ella nodded, “I really hope so, but I’m not here for that. I wanted to ask you something.”

“Of course,” Percy said, putting down his homework.

“I’ve been looking around at some recent history,” seeing it would be more apt, “and I was wondering if you could tell me more about a man who called himself Voldemort.”

Percy gasped and nearly fell over, “Do not say his name! He killed hundreds, if not, thousands of people. He went as bad as you could go, maybe even worse. No one _ever_ says that name!”

“I see, but Dumbledore believes that by fearing a name you increase fear in the thing itself. I don’t want to fear Voldemort or his name,” she said shrugging. Percy looked dumbstruck by Ella’s choice and like he wanted to argue, but Ella cut him off. “You see, I keep finding stuff out about him and a boy named Harry Potter, but everything talks around the issue, like they don’t want us to really know what happened. I find censorship like that silly. If you don’t want history to repeat itself, you have to know what happened. So, what happened?”

Percy frowned a bit, still wincing at the name, “I suppose no one teaches it because it’s practically a household tale for wizard families. Like I said, You-Know-Who was as bad as they get for wizards. He had a lot of followers, mostly pure-bloods who believed they were better than everyone else. He convinced them to attack anyone who didn’t agree with them. They also killed a lot of Muggles. Everyone was terrified he would come after them next, and hardly anyone was brave enough to stand up to him outright – it was a death sentence. About nine years ago, almost exactly, You-Know-Who was at full power until he went to kill the Potters. They were people who opposed him outright. He killed the James and Lily Potter, but something happened and he couldn’t kill their son, Harry. They say he died that night and the boy lived with only a lightning scar. No one’s ever survived the killing curse, but Harry did as a baby.”

“There’s a killing curse?”

“Yes, the darkest magic. One of the three Unforgiveable Curses, though I don’t want to have to tell you about those yet. You’re too young for such dark magic,” Percy stated, haughtily.

Ella resisted the urge to roll her eyes, “And no one’s ever survived that curse except a baby? How?”

“Nobody knows,” Percy sighed, “I feel like Dumbledore might know because people say he knows most everything, but I also could imagine with something so rare happening, he also wouldn’t.”

Ella nodded pensively, and Percy picked up his homework once more. She didn’t understand why she was seeing Harry in the past as well as the future. Her dreams felt confusing and disorienting. It would make sense if she only saw the future or the past. There had to be a reason for her seeing these things, but Ella had no idea what that could possibly be.

The next day during breakfast, Ella watched the Owl Post arrive. Hundred of owls flew into the Great Hall, each holding a parcel or mail of some sort for their owner. Ella had been watching the skies every morning since Rowena had taken flight. So far she’d been disappointed, but she had a good feeling about today. A rather old owl landed in front of Charlie, Ella, Fred and George he clumsily held out his foo for one of the redheaded boys. Charlie took the letter and read it out loud.

“Dear Charlie, we are so thrilled to hear the twins are the new Beaters on the Quidditch team. I, personally, am thrilled they are continuing to make friends. This particular girl, I think I might already know who Ella is from a meeting in Diagon Alley. (“She has met me!” Ella said happy that she remembered her.) The fact that Fred and George are watching over a younger student is wonderful news. I would love to have her over for Christmas as long as her parents approve. Love Mum, Dad, Ron, and Ginny.”

Ella smiled and then received a hard peck. She jerked her hand away before looking to Rowena who was sitting impatiently with her leg out. Her feathers were slightly ruffled Ella noticed while untying the letter.

“You must have had a tough flight by the looks of it,” she said helping a few feathers lie down. “I hope my parents weren’t too nasty too to you.”

Rowena hooted as if to say, “They were, but I forgive you.” She took a bite out of Ella’s toast and flew off. Ella unfolded her letter to see what her parents had to say.

_Ella,_

_ How dare you send an owl to the house! We do not need such abnormality floating in and out of our lives. We do not care what you do with that lot of yours just so long as you leave us out of it. As far as we are concerned, we do not have a daughter any longer. If you are expecting some sort of Christmas present, you are mistaken. You are lucky that we are allowing you to stay in our home over the summer holidays. Do not contact us with that retched owl again or we will call Animal Control and have it dealt with._

_Deepest Regards,_

_Timothy and Emily Worthington_

Ella stared at letter not believing what she read. She knew her parents hadn’t been pleased with finding out their daughter was a witch, but it appeared they were better able to communicate their complete disgust in writing instead. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she no longer felt hungry. She couldn’t look at the twins or anyone else. She left her letter on the table as she ran out of the Great Hall. She didn’t want anyone to see her tears, and she couldn’t keep them from forming in her eyes. By the time she got to the common room she was threatening to burst. Barely uttering the password, she got in and ran to a chair in the furthest corner of the room. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them, squeezing with every ounce of strength she had. She buried her head into her knees and let the tears come out. Everyone was still at breakfast; she hoped no one would find her.

Charlie grabbed the letter as soon as she was out of the hall and read it, twice. He couldn’t believe what he read. That lot of yours. Don’t have a daughter any longer. These people were vile and did not deserve a sweet girl like Ella. He thrust the note to the twins and stood ready to leave once they were done reading. Fred and George’s eyes became narrower with each word they read.

“I can’t believe someone would write that to their own kid!” George near shouted with his temper rising terribly.

Fred was just the same, “They’re gits! Ella doesn’t deserve being treated like that.” Both of them stormed off and Charlie followed quickly behind them. They found Ella in the Common Room. She was shaking and though they couldn’t see her face, it was obvious she was crying. The twins were immediately by her side.

“You don’t need them.”

“They don’t deserve you.”

“Please don’t cry.” They tried out some jokes and kept trying to comfort her. Charlie had lost track of which brother had said what. All he knew is they refused to let Ella be upset about her family. 

Ella looked up with a watery smile, “Thank you, Fred, and you too, George. I don’t know what I’d do without either of you.” She addressed each boy and left Charlie in mild shock. Ella must have spent more time with the twins than Charlie originally thought to be addressing them like that. Everyone in their family got them confused, but she somehow knew the difference; he’d have to ask her how she did it when the timing was more appropriate. Charlie left the group to be alone and decided to write their mom saying Ella could come. He hated what her mother and father had wrote her, but he had rarely ever seen Fred or George act that way to someone outside of the family. If anything, Charlie became more resolved to make Ella part of their family. She needed a large group of people to love her, and he just knew his mother would dote on her as much as any of her other children.

~

Katie, Angelina, Alicia, and Ella walked around the grounds of the school. It had been over a week since the hateful letter and Angelina and Alicia were telling Ella and Katie about the Halloween Feast. All their talk about food made Ella’s stomach growl even though they had just eaten lunch. She felt absolutely crushed as she realized that the feast wasn’t until tomorrow, and they were going to have to wait to try all the amazing food Hogwarts had to offer for Halloween. As they continued to walk outside, the second years told them goodbye and left for Quidditch practice. Neither Ella nor Katie really felt like going into the castle just yet as the crisp fall weather was nice enough to not freeze them immediately like the next few months would bring. Going back to the Common Room meant working on their homework, and even Ella felt the need to laze around a bit before facing more essays and reading. Katie suggested they go to Hagrid’s hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Her parents used to go every few months when they were students at Hogwarts, and Ella had always loved her dreams with Hagrid. They made their way over and passed a girl who Ella thought she recognized. She’d never seen her looks before but a general feeling around her gave the impression she’d been in a dream.

“Wotcher, firsties!” the girl said, as they moved past. She had blue hair and brown eyes.

“Hello,” Ella and Katie chorused smiling at her and her wildly colored hair. They both stopped instead of carrying on. Ella really wanted to know more about this girl.

She grinned down at the two, being several inches taller, “I’m Tonks, well Nymphadora, but I hate being called that. What’re your names?”

“Katie Bell.”

“Ella Worthington.” The girls smiled at her and saw she was in Hufflepuff.

Tonks smiled back at them, “I remember you two getting sorted; the hat took awfully long for you.” She pointed at Ella. “Didn’t take much time to put me into Hufflepuff, knew I was kind. Got to be honest, I don’t remember much of my sorting anymore. I’m in my seventh year, so been a while now.”

“Are you going to try to be an Auror?” Ella asked suddenly, though she didn’t know what an Auror was.

The seventh year took a step back, “I’ve thought about it, and I am taking all the classes for it because I’d really like to be. It’s really difficult to get into it though.”

Ella nodded, “I think you should try, but what’s an Auror?”

The look Tonks gave her next was one like she was totally insane Katie decided to explain, “We think Ella’s got some Seer in her. She knows things before they happen and has been guessing things since she arrived here! But she’s Muggle-Born, so it’s a little odd, though mostly cool.”

“Oh, I see now. An Auror is someone who works for the Ministry of Magic. They protect people and try to find Dark Wizards,” Tonks said. Then said, “You know I don’t feel like blue is my color today.” She got out a little mirror and screwed up her eyes. Very frizzy blonde hair began to morph where her blue hair had once been. She analyzed herself in the little mirror and sighed.

“I’ve got a whole world of choices for how I look, and I just can’t seem to find something that really click, you know? The color that just suits me.”

“Have you ever tried spikey, bubble gum pink?” Ella asked curiously, she was beginning to recognize a woman with pink hair, a fierce fighter. Tonks looked in the mirror once again and the hair became pink. She smirked nodding slightly at the long bubble gum locks, then she made the hair shrink back to be a bit shorter.

Tonks gave one more nod before putting the mirror away, “I love this. It just looks like me, don’t you think? Bright and cheery but also a little like I could hold my own in a duel, yeah?” Ella and Katie nodded smiling as wide as she was. “Where are you two off to by the way?”

“Hagrid’s!” They chorused. 

“Brilliant! Can I tag along? I haven’t seen him yet this year. Been far too long,” Tonks said smiling. The girls nodded and the rest of the afternoon was spent in Hagrid’s hut. Tonks and Ella were able to save Katie from the mistake of eating his rock cakes or having her teeth cemented by the fudge. They enjoyed talking to Hagrid and hearing him talk about different people who went to the school. As the sun began to set, they went back to the castle. Ella was exhausted and went to bed immediately after completing her homework, unable to keep her eyes open while the twins discussed their newest prank ideas.

_A man in a purple turban and robes dashed into the Great Hall while the seats were lined with students enjoying a feast filled with the foods Angelina and Alicia had been describing. As he burst noisily into the room, everyone turned to gape at him including the professors. _

_“Troll- Troll in the dungeons – thought you’d like to know.” An instant uproar came as the man fainted with his last words. People screamed, looking utterly terrified. Dumbledore made an order to get all the students to their houses. Ella saw Percy immediately jump out of his seat, hollering at frightened students to follow him because he was a Prefect. _

_She wanted to congratulate him, but this wasn’t the time or place. Behind Percy, she saw a black haired boy and a red haired boy stand up. They started moving in a different direction from the group. She didn’t know how she knew, but they must have been going after the troll or maybe near it in some way. Ella could feel deep in her bones that the two ere in danger and needed to be helped. She tried to move, but she couldn’t follow after them. Her legs were stuck and the walls around her were beginning to fade away. _

Ella woke up on Halloween wondering what she had just saw and how soon it might come to pass. It seemed as though an uprising was coming, and it sent shivers down Ella’s spine. She only saw new things every so often. Her dreams were sporadic and repeating, but the pattern of what she saw began to change the longer she was around magic and the more energy she put into trying to understand it. Regardless of her efforts, she could only see so much. Some dreams worried her since they looked positively frightening.

The whole day was spent joking around. The twins and Ella were nearly caught setting off Dung Booms on the seventh floor. The three ran past the Barnabas the Barmy’s tapestry and saw a door at the end of the long hallway. They took it as their opportunity to hide and found it was a broom closet. They stayed in until they were sure Filch was gone.

“Wow, lucky hiding spot, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before,” George said as they walked back to the common room.

“I doubt you’ll ever find it again, it doesn’t seem like a room that’s meant to be there,” Ella told them, having the oddest feeling that the broom closet, like most rooms in Hogwarts, had a lot more too it than meets the eye.

That night Ella thoroughly enjoyed the feast as they watch pumpkins float around the Great Hall along with the usual candles. Games were played and her sides hurt from laughing so much with her friends. Ella tried to keep the dream about future Halloweens out of her head, but it was difficult. Afterall, who could forget a troll so easily? 


	7. Snakes, Lions, and Ravens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this taking so long. What can I say? Graduate school is a beast.

The first Quidditch match came faster than anyone had ever guessed once Halloween was over. Ella, Katie, and Lee tried to be at every practice the team had so they could support Fred, George, Angelina, and even Alicia, though she doubted she’d ever get to play. They sometimes weren’t able to make it because their homework loads were piling up, but they made their best effort, which their friends could certainly tell. The group spent many long nights trying to catch up on work together, and long nights trapped until piles of parchment and books only managed to strengthen their friendship. Soon enough it was game day and the ones who would be playing couldn’t eat a thing. Angelina refused to even leave her dorm room until it was time to get ready.

“You’ve got to eat.”

“No,” the twins said simultaneously.

“Where’s your usual bravado? The we’re-the-best-at-whatever-we-do attitude?” Ella questioned. They both stuck out their tongues, but even that fizzled out quickly.

Oliver Wood came up and told them they had to go get ready for the match. Ella and Lee decided they would go to the pitch so they could get really good seats where they’d miss none of their friends’ actions. Katie and Alicia decided to stay a little longer and finish their breakfast and see if they’d catch Angelina on her way down. Ella and Lee sat on their own for nearly twenty minutes talking about what would happen if they won.

The teams arrived on the field and Ella couldn’t help but let the excitement rise in her. She had never seen a real Quidditch match before, and while she hadn’t been a big fan of Muggle sports, the combination of her friends and magic made the sport so much more interesting. The teams walked on the field and all you could see was the red and gold in one area then silver and green in the other. The captains shook hands so quickly it was easy to miss before turning around and going back to their teams. Everyone mounted their brooms. A commentator spoke into the enchanted microphone as though he was rather bored.

“It’s a Slytherin, they can’t do anything right. Even commentate!” Lee groaned to Ella.

“Here comes the Excellent Slytherin team versing those Gryffindor’s. They haven’t been very good for about five years now, and I’d assume nothing much has changed for that. – The Snitch is released to begin the game. – Johnson takes the Quaffle and heads to the Slytherin end of the pitch –she is quickly intercepted by Flint who heads back to the Gryffindor end.”

The game was full of twists, turns, and fouls (mostly Slytherin.) Ella was in love with it. The twins were superb, and Angelina scored three goals, driving most of the stadium crazy with excitement and hope. Everyone was cheering as Angelina went to score her 4th goal and the Slytherin Beater Bole hit her with his bat causing her to drop it.

“FOUL!” Ella yelled trying to see if Angelina was alright. Lee was yelling so loud Katie had to cover her ears, but she was screaming even with her ears covered. Just as the game resumed the Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs got the Snitch. Slytherin won just barely. The Gryffindor’s were disappointed, but they were still determined to have a party in the common room anyways.

“Loser house, loser team, not that difficult to figure out,” a voice said behind the group as they walked to the Common Room.

Ella nudged Lee forward to try and get him to leave, but he wouldn’t budge,” Come on, Lee, let’s just go, he’s not worth any fight.”

She was about to drag Lee away, but Zahareth decided to join the conversation, “Of course a Muggle-Born would walk away from a fight, they don’t know enough magic to defend themselves.”

“Not so brave with all the teachers close by, can’t call me names now,” Ella said only slightly phased. She wasn’t going to grab for her wand, though she was very aware of its place in her cloak.

“I can call you a MudBlood whenever I want,” he spat. Lee, Alicia, and Katie all grabbed for their wands, but Ella held up her hand calmly. They paused at the movement, watching her warily. At that moment, though the two looked very different, Ella could only see Allison. The sneer and the desire to make Ella’s life difficult for something she has no control over. For so long, she’s been taking every insult Allison hurled at her, thinking she was powerless. Now, she knew better.

“Sure,” she shrugged, “call me whatever you want, but it makes no difference to me. Muggle-Borns are no different from purebloods, I know enough to understand that. You bleed as red as I do, and I’m better than you at magic anyhow.”

_“TARAN-”_

_“RICTUSEMPRA!” _Ella yelled before he could finish his spell. Before anyone could react Zahareth was on the ground laughing his head off. If he was going to act like a joke, he might as well laugh at himself since no one else should. The group walked around him and the other Slytherins attempting to rid him of the spell and left to the Common Room.

“Brilliant, Ella!” Katie said laughing. “Show that prat who really belongs here!”

“It certainly feels like we have a reason to celebrate now,” she giggled, feeling pleased to have friends willing to stick up for her but also willing to let her do it herself. Everyone was talking and laughing all through the night, in spite of their loss. Food had been mysteriously taken from the kitchens, Fred and George were cracking jokes and doing whatever they could to keep the whole house excited. Soon enough, everyone forgot about losing the match or nasty Slytherins. It seemed as though it had never happened. Ella went up with Katie when they were too tired to continue partying, and they quickly fell asleep with full stomachs and smiles.

_Ella was back down at the pitch and watching the game again, only this time it was different. She looked around at her classmates, trying to see where people were, but she wasn’t sitting with the other students. She and Lee sat in the announcer’s booth. She looked out onto the field to see if the team was the one she knew or something else entirely. Charlie Weasley was the first person she noticed wasn’t in the air, instead a young boy was. She saw Katie’s braided hair also soaring above with Alicia and Angelina, but her focus wasn’t on them, just the young by with jet black hair._

_He wasn’t doing so well; the broom was trying to buck him off with a ferocity she knew meant the broom had been jinxed. Ella wanted to scream but couldn’t. She looked around the crowd to see if anyone was attempting to help the boy. While searching, she saw two peculiar things. Snape and a man in a turban both were watching the boy with intense looks, like you’d use for a jinx. Despite how cruel Snape had been too Ella, she couldn’t imagine him trying to hurt a student, and if the other man was in the teacher’s section, he must have been also trying to help. So then, who jinxed his broom and why? _

Before Ella could figure out what was happening, she woke up. The next year seemed to have a lot of dangers. She wondered what was going to happen because of all this. She was very upset by Snape and the other man. What were they doing? She shook her head and got up to do homework. Classes seemed to be a blur and Ella prided herself on the high marks she received. She’d always pushed in her Muggle school to do the best in each class, it was one way to make sure her parents weren’t angry with her. Now, it felt like a habit. Though, the magical knowledge, spells, and history all stuck well in her mind. It was as though she’d been born to study magic, which Ella supposed she had been.

As they neared winter break, Ella sat in a History of magic lesson where they talked about the Hogwarts founders. She’d been fascinated with this group of people who all had different ideas on what qualities mattered in a person, but still could come together and agree that a school was necessary to teach each of these people regardless of what personal traits they were drawn to. Many of her classmate had fallen asleep or become distracted by daydreams, but Ella was diligently taking notes. The lesson was almost over when she found something that bothered her.

“Now, the founders of Hogwarts were alive hundreds of years ago. Each had a special trait they possessed such as bravery, cunning, brilliance, and loyalty. They also were said to have a subject they excelled in. Salazar was proficient in Potions, Godric excelled in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Helga was superb in Herbology, and Rowena was a master at Charms. There are many rumors about the founders having other magical qualities that rarely exist such as Salazar’s proven Parseltongue or a connection to magical objects such as Godric’s Sword of Gryffindor. I don’t want to talk about these rumors, though. If you wish to know more, you’ll need to go to the library.” Binns droned.

The class remained bored even in light of these rumors, but Ella was wide awake. She couldn’t help but listen to every word of the founders. She needed to know more about them then they were telling her.

_“I haven’t seen such a great mind since Rowena herself. –It is though you have Ravenclaw blood in your veins…..I’ve never seen so much of it before.” _She heard the Sorting Hat’s words again and again in her head. What had he never seen so much of before? She was Muggle-Born so how could she have Ravenclaw blood?

_“I feel as though I can hear Rowena herself is telling me to put you in Gryffindor.” _

Ella shook her head, how on Earth, could someone who was long dead tell the Sorting hat to put her in Gryffindor? Classes ended and Ella went to library instead of the Common Room. She searched the place for hours looking at books that only brushed the surface. It was infuriating having no idea where to look. She returned to the Common Room late that night empty handed.

Rummaging through her trunk she tried to get out her robe for the morning since it was getting very cold. A book was on top of it though. She nearly dropped it when she saw the cover.

It was the book she got in Diagon Alley: Hogwarts Founders: Talents, Secrets, and Wonders. She opened the cover and read until she found what she had been looking for.

_“….Rowena Ravenclaw came from a line of brilliant witches and wizards, most originating from Scotland. It is said Rowena was the most brilliant and powerful magical being since Merlin, himself. Her belief is wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure. She is the creator of the lost diadem of Ravenclaw. _

_While rumors circle around Gryffindor and Slytherin more so than Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Rowena has rumors that follow her name too. It is said her line of family was excellent at Divination. She was the last in her line to possess an overactive trait of seeing the future. While this is just a rumor some highly believe it to this day. Another long passed down rumor is that Rowena was a very accomplished Healer. It is said that talent started her friendship with Helga Hufflepuff, who was a master of growing the herbs she needed. This rumor has been passed for so long that the only thing said about it is that she could make demise and maladies shake in her midst. _

_ Whether any of this is true is yet to be discovered. Many are doubtful it will ever be since many of these ancient bloodlines have fallen into Squibs and further into Muggles. It is believed that after Rowena’s daughter, Helena’s death no other Ravenclaw decedent was born.”_

She had absolutely no idea what any of it meant. How could she be a Ravenclaw if the lines had died out? Ella couldn’t believe that the book wasn’t even sure. It was only rumors and guessing. She decided that when the time was right, she would look for more answers. There had to be books or something out there that explained her situation. The Sorting Hat seemed old, maybe it made a mistake.

Whatever the case, she knew something had to cause her dreams and she would find it out.


	8. Christmas with the Weasleys

The year was going too fast for Ella’s liking. She felt the days slip by as Christmas crept closer. Soon enough she was boarding the Hogwarts Express to go home with the Weasleys for Christmas. It was a fun train ride since the original people who she met going to Hogwarts sat in the compartment together with Fred and George this time. They taught Ella how to play Exploding Snap, which as everyone found out in their compartment, she was terrible at. They got off the train and Mrs. Weasley was standing there waiting for Ella and her other children.

“Where’s Ginny and Ron, Mum?” Charlie asked hopping off the train with his luggage.

“No hello mother? I haven’t seen you in months, and you think about your siblings before your poor mother?” Mrs. Weasley said jokingly to her son. Ella could see where the twins might have gotten a little of their sarcasm.

Charlie gave her a grin, “Sorry, hello, mum.” He gave her a hug.

“Ron and Ginny are at home with your father. He’s been awfully busy at the Ministry and we’re enjoying having him home for the time being,” Mrs. Weasley explained and Ella couldn’t help but feel nervous. How had she not thought about their father? He could not like her or think she’s odd. Maybe he thought she was intruding on their family time. Some fathers were pretty strict, like her own. Would he even approve of her? She assumed Mr. Weasley must be pretty strict if he worked at the Ministry. Her parents would sometimes have dinners with Muggle Ministry members and those men were always so severe that it was sometimes frightening. Maybe she should have stayed at Hogwarts for the holiday.

Mrs. Weasley hugged each of her children and Ella didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t as though she’d never been hugged, but they weren’t actually sincere hugs. Not motherly at least, more like half-hearted and quick. The hugs she gave her kids seemed to speak a thousand words. She couldn’t admit it, but she was jealous of the boys for having such a loving parent. Before Ella could do anything, Mrs. Weasley wrapped her arms around Ella and was giving her the same sort of hug each boy had received. It wasn’t quick or one armed, it was a true hug. Ella was so overcome by the simple thing she nearly cried. Only nearly cried, since there were four boys standing next to her.

Mrs. Weasley let go of her and Ella got a good look at the woman. She had flaming red hair like her children and the kindest face she had ever seen. She was about a foot taller then Ella, but most of her children were nearly passing her height, with the exception of the twins who were still a good six inches short of her.

“Come on, kids, let’s get to the burrow.” Mrs. Weasley said with a smile to her children and Ella. There was snow all over the ground and it crunched under their boots and luggage wheels. They came up to a Ford Anglia and were driving comfortably in a few minutes.

“We live in Ottery St. Catchpole; it’s a little bit of a drive,” Percy explained to Ella.

After what was a much longer drive than it took to reach Ella’s parents’ house, they arrived at the best house Ella had ever seen. It was like something out of a postcard: cozy, warm, inviting. It was covered in snow and the windows glowed with warmth. A sign in the front read: The Burrow, which she thought was fitting. She couldn’t help but think it resembled a gingerbread house as they ran to get from the cold into the warmth.

The five people stood inside the house and immediately started pulling off their layers of winter clothing. Ron and Ginny slid into the room looking absolutely delighted to have their older siblings there. They were welcoming each home excitedly and trying to get each to tell them about what the school was like. Then a man appeared in the doorway; Ella knew he had to be Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley was a balding man who was considerably taller than his wife. Even though he was balding Ella could see he had just as red of hair as the rest of the family. He gave his kids one-armed hugs, but they had meaning in them. They were more like a fatherly hug. After each of his sons got a nice hug he gave his wife a kiss. Ella felt a blush seeping into her cheeks as her face grew warm. She knew that she was going to intrude. What must Mr. Weasley be thinking right now? He turned to face her.

“Hello, you must be Ella, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said with a warm smile. They led her into their family room and sat next to a nice fire. She felt welcome in the house, but wondered if they’d truly accept her after spending all of the holidays. The kids all sat down next to the fire so they could get some warmth and relax. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting on a love seat and discussing Mr. Weasley’s job. Percy sat away from the rest of the kids to read and talk to his parents. The twins were facing each other in a game of Exploding Snap, but were equally matched. She watched with fascination as Ron and Charlie played a brutal game of chess with pieces that actually moved without them touching the pieces.

“What is that?” She asked with immense curiosity.

Ron looked at her as though it were obvious, “Its Wizard’s Chess, haven’t you ever played chess before?”

Ella blushed brilliantly, “Of course I have, but Muggles have to actually move the pieces themselves.”

“Yes, Ronald, don’t be rude to Ella,” Mrs. Weasley chided.

“Ella, I’m sure you know a lot about Muggle items,” Mr. Weasley said.

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes, “Now Arthur we don’t want to bombard her with those silly questions of yours! Mr. Weasley loves Muggle items and Muggles in general, he finds them fascinating.”

Ella giggled, “They aren’t that interesting, wizards are so much better!”

“Hey, Ella, if you want you can play me next,” Ron said. The two of the played and as much as Ella wished she could say that it was a close game, it would be a very big lie. Ron certainly was the best chess player that Ella had ever met.

That night she slept in Ginny’s room. Ginny told her all about the all-girls Quidditch team and how she wanted to play on it. She couldn’t wait to go to Hogwarts as well and Ella assured her that it was an amazing place to be. Each person in the house seemed to accept her and like her a lot. The Weasley’s actually liked her. Ella was amazed that all of her worrying had been for nothing.

It was a new concept. She had very good manners and never tried to do anything wrong, but her magic was unpredictable when she was around people that could have been her friend or their families. Each time it would make her seem like a freak, but the Weasley’s knew why that happened and they didn’t think it mattered. They could do the things she could too. It was like actually having a family.

The next day while eating an amazing breakfast cooked by Mrs. Weasley, who Ella believed was now the best cook ever, a man walked in. He seemed to be only a year older than Charlie and was obviously a Weasley because he had the same red hair.

“Hello, mother!” He said to Mrs. Weasley.

“Oh, Bill, you made it home,” she cried thrilled. All of Bill’s siblings went over to him to welcome him home. Ella hoped he was the last Weasley kid because, as much as she loved the family, she was going to start having a hard time remembering who was who.

Bill smiled at her and said, “Ah, you must be Ella, I’ve heard a little about you from just about everybody.” Ella hid her face quickly as she blushed. Had they really been that thrilled about her to mention her to their oldest brother?

“Ella, this is Bill, the oldest of our children. He works at Gringotts as a Curse Breaker,” Mrs. Weasley explained to her. He had long hair tied back in a ponytail and an earring with a fang dangling from it. He seemed like a really cool person to have as an older brother. She also had no idea what a Curse Breaker did or why it was necessary but the title itself was one of the coolest things she had ever heard.

“Nice to meet you,” she said giving him a shy smile. He smiled back and all the added commotion went back to the normal amount for the family.

As it turned out Bill had been a Hogwarts prefect and then became Head Boy, which was Percy’s dream, though Bill didn’t seem to worry about rules at all. He was incredibly laid back and fun to be around. He had many great stories about being in Egypt and doing his work for Gringotts. They would keep everyone on the edge of their seats. They loved the stories.

On Christmas Day everyone woke up early. Ella was amazed to see she had presents from the Weasley’s. In a package was a brilliant blue sweater that had an E stitched on it. It was obviously homemade, but that only caused Ella to love it more than any other store bought clothes that she owned. Fred and George had found a way to get her a pretty silver bracelet that had a heart shaped charm on it. She had gotten the twins some more pranking supplies for a secret gift and a book over their favorite Quidditch team to give in front of their parents.

“Ella, did your parents send their gift to the school before you came here?” Mrs. Weasley asked innocently. Charlie, Fred, George, and Percy all looked over at her. They knew very well that the Worthington’s wanted nothing to do with their only daughter and certainly weren’t going to give a gift to her.

“Oh, yes Mrs. Weasley, they didn’t want me to miss it,” Ella inwardly winced, she hated lying to Mrs. Weasley after all she had done, but how could she tell a mother with so much love that her mother had no love for her? It was horrible how her parents acted and Ella couldn’t stand anymore people knowing about it. 

Everyone was in a jolly mood the whole day. Even Percy joined in the games of Exploding Snap that were being played all over the house. Charlie said that if it would have been any other time of year they would have played Quidditch, but it was too cold in the winter. Everyone was wearing a Weasley sweater and talking and laughing with others. Mrs. Weasley really out did herself with the dinner and desert leaving Ella feeling as though she had gained about ten pounds by the time it was over.

To end the day they listened to Mrs. Weasley’s favorite singer. No one else really cared for her, but no one could object, they were all too sleepy and happy. Around eleven at night the parents decided that the kids needed to be getting to bed. No one could keep their eyes open long enough to say differently so everyone shuffled up the stairs. Ella said goodnight and thank you to the twins again for her gift. It seemed as though Ella’s head had just hit the pillow when she was falling in a dream.

_She was in a room lit by torches. Ron was there along with Harry and the bushy haired girl. They were standing next to life size chess pieces. It seemed as though they were playing a game. Before Ella could look any further into what they were doing the scene changed. Now she was in Gringotts and already she could tell something was wrong. A vault stood open and a man was inside. Unlike her other dreams, she couldn’t move around to discover more. This was a dream where she had to stay put. She tried to see the man but she couldn’t. He seemed furious as though what he was looking for wasn’t in the vault. The door started to close and she strained her dream self to try and see the man, but all she saw was a number: 713. _

Ella awoke shivering. Why was she having all these dreams about Ron, Harry, and the bushy haired girl? What was so important about them? She thought a moment about Ron and how he hardly looked any older than he had then. That must have meant this would be soon, but without him being at Hogwarts yet, it still couldn’t happen for another year. She sighed inwardly before getting up for breakfast.

The rest of the holidays seemed to fly by. Ella didn’t want to leave the burrow, but she was only going back to Hogwarts so it wasn’t that bad. It would be nice to see Katie, Lee, Alicia, and Angelina. She even missed her classes since she couldn’t do magic outside of school. Fred and George also reminded her she can look forward to the Quidditch games too.


	9. Quidditch Final

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Harry Potter.

It was an easy transition back to the school after break since Ella felt nice and refreshed. Mrs. Weasley even forced them into doing homework so Fred and George couldn’t get her to be behind. Once back on the grounds, classes started up as usual and they fell back into their routines. The twins began their pranking again and Ella helped keep watch while Lee normally would be a distraction. Together they were an unbeatable team. Only rarely would someone get caught. Ella had never been caught, a badge of honor she consistently held over the twins’ heads.

Workloads were getting bigger as the final tests drew nearer. Their homework piled into stacks that Ella couldn’t imagine her Muggle classes reaching, though her parents had wanted her to be in all advanced classes, so it still might have been the same amount of work but literally less magic. The school kept adding more to their to do lists, but no one could pay much attention to those. Something much more important was about to happen: The Quidditch Final.

Gryffindor had played a truly magnificent game against Hufflepuff. Their best all season. Ella truly felt like she’d been on the edge of her seat. It was a close game, but Gryffindor grabbed the Snitch at the last moment with a big enough lead to go to the final match. Slytherin killed Ravenclaw in their match as well, so it would be another Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match. The school seemed to be ready for it, or the opposing Houses at the very least. There was a lot of foul play going on in the corridors before the match. Curses flew around when teachers were out of sight and every so often a spell would hit an unsuspecting student, whether it was for them or intercepted by them.

Ella, Katie, and Lee spent hours in the library while the others were at practice looking up different jinxes and counter-jinx so they could make sure nothing happened to their friends on their watch. Ella was surprised to learn how easily everything came to her. In Muggle school, she’d always had an easy time with course work, something she assumed came from both her parents being well above average intelligence, but she’d worried about coming to magic school after having no experience with it. It seemed she had nothing to worry about because while it wasn’t always easy, she still was understanding the way of this new world. Looking at these spells, she was excited to start dueling when she was older.

The three friends headed to the Quidditch pitch to see if the rest of the team was done and to make sure they got back safely. As they got closer, they saw that four Slytherins were watching the team walk back to the school, wands already drawn and devious smiles painting their faces. Lee nudged Ella even though they all saw the group. The Slytherins looked old enough to be fifth years and if they were, they’d know a lot more than half the team. They also had the element of surprise on their side, which certainly didn’t bode well for their Gryffindor friends. Lee pulled her behind the group and she grabbed Katie too. Lee got out his own wand.

Ella did the same realizing they hadn’t been seen yet. A few spells later the group was heading towards the hospital wing wondering what had happened. Katie, Lee, and Ella watched from behind a wall trying not to laugh. They finally left their hiding spot when the rest of the team had gotten to them.

“Oh, so that was you three, I was wondering why a bunch of snakes were all of the sudden running to the hospital wing,” Oliver said to them. They just smiled and walked with the team back to the Common Room proud of the work they’d done.

As it turned out, the commentator for the Quidditch matches was sick in the hospital wing and in the spirit of years to come; Lee got to do the commentary for the match. He found out about it the same day Angelina got hit by a curse in the middle of the corridors. It was the day before the match, and even though Madam Pomfrey was the most accomplished Healer Ella imagined they could have on the ground, Angelina still wasn’t going to be able to play.

“She was the team’s best chaser,” Lee groaned.

George looked down the table, “Maybe keep your voice down, mate.”

“The seventh years aren’t going to take too kindly to that, and I’m not sure that we have another back up announcer available if you get taken out too,” Fred finished. Ella stifled a giggle in her hand.

Lee huffed, “It isn’t right, though. Their team is entirely intact and ours is down a player!”

“I’m sure Alicia will do splendidly, though,” Ella said as Katie placed an arm around Alicia’s shoulder.

Alicia shrugged, “I didn’t want to play this way, but I’ll do my best.”

On the day of the match no one seemed to be able to eat at all. There was a nervous tension in the Great Hall. Everyone was anticipating the final match to see if someone could finally beat Slytherin. The team had gone down to grab breakfast and eat at the pitch before anyone else could potentially hex them into the bed next to Angelina’s. Ella couldn’t believe the tension that was built from this match and how serious the school was about their sport. She knew people got intense about football at home, but she’d never seen a match incite so much violence or stress from people who weren’t even as invested in the teams playing. Lee left to go down to the pitch and Katie and Ella followed. They had decided to sit next to him so that the girls could point things out if he was missing them.

“I’m warning you Jordan, this is your audition for next year. Don’t make me regret it,” Professor McGonagall warned him just before the match started. Lee just smiled at her, which clearly stated he’d try, but he had no promises.

“Welcome everybody, as you can tell I’m not your usual commentator, he is sick…or something, who really cares?”

“Jordan-”

“Now, now Professor, it is alright, really I was only joking. Anyways their off and its Alicia Spinnet with the Quaffle- look at that girl go. You know she’s only a reserve but due to a – I’m sure – well-planned accident, Angelina Johnson couldn’t play. Yes, Johnson is quite the player, only her first year on the team.”

Ella knew the game would be hard to watch, but she had never thought a game could be played so brutally. She was screaming herself hoarse, but to no avail. She was frightened Katie or Lee would get them all kicked out of the announcer’s area with their shouting. Without Angelina the team was falling apart. Even with their experience on the team, the other Chasers weren’t as good as her. Alicia was trying her best, but it wasn’t a fair assessment as the Slytherin beaters were targeting her mercilessly. The Slytherin Chasers were scoring goals easily due to the Chasers being unable to get the Quaffle into the Slytherin end of the pitch. Charlie didn’t seem to know where to look for the Snitch as he kept trying to push the Slytherins away from Alicia before she got seriously injured. This only served to put a target on his back, and he began being pelted by the Beaters even more than Alicia. Fred and George couldn’t fly fast enough to keep up with all the misconduct to their teammates and the Bludgers. Finally, the game ended and Ella couldn’t even look at the score. She only knew it was disappointing to everyone but the Slytherins.

Their team had been slaughtered. No one felt like celebrating except for the ever boastful Slytherin team, and everyone watched as they brought their usual flair into the term “sore winner”. The two other houses slipped back into the castle knowing there was nothing to be said to the dejected Gryffindors. The Gryffindor’s, however, showed their true colors as a loving family to each member of the house by comforting the team.

“It’s not your fault, you guys did great,” Ella said trying to cheer up the twins. Lee was helping Alicia; they were going to switch after a while if they weren’t having any luck.

“Why bother lying, Worthington, we all know the team is terrible,” Cormac McLaggen said walking up to them.

Ella’s eyes narrowed, “Leave us alone McLaggen.”

He continued as though he hadn’t heard her, “Now, if I were on the team we would win for sure. I am an amazing flyer.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“Why do you hang out with these losers when you could hang out with me? I’m obviously much better than a couple of Weasleys and a ragtag team of nobodies.” McLaggen said.

“Call me stupid, McLaggen, but I don’t think there’s much room for anyone else to be around when your ego fills a whole Quidditch pitch. I’d much rather prefer friends with more deflated heads,” Ella snapped. “A person’s character says volumes about their friendship, and yours screams to stay back for my own sanity.” Cormac stormed away and Ella was fuming.

“The nerve of some people, just because they have a prominent family member or two, they think that they can get away with being friends with whoever they choose! They think they can insult whomever they please and it makes no difference because their money or status or whatever it is keeps them on this imaginary pedestal. Makes me sick,” she ranted angrily.

George looked up at her, “Would you really rather be friends with a bunch like us Weasleys instead of a McLaggen?”

“Of course, McLaggen doesn’t have half the personality of you or any Weasley. He’s a git; you all are like family,” Ella replied to him. The twins cheered up considerably. 

That night she had several dreams about Harry being in a closet under stairs and making glass vanish at a zoo. She saw things that had been in her dreams all year long, but now were speeding at her with alarming power. She watched as a three-headed dog stood over a trap door, Harry hanging from a broom stick in the Quidditch Pitch, Snape and a man in a turban staring at him intensely, and Ron playing a life size game of chess.

Then she was back in the depths of Gringotts. Watching as a man fumed over an empty vault. She wanted to see who he was, she needed to help turn him in and see what would happen to him and why he was there. Ella needed to tell someone he was trying to steal from the bank.

Ella woke up in a cold sweat absolutely terrified of her dreams and the future. She had never before felt the need to stop something or put an end to what might happen. It was exactly what Dumbledore had told her about at the beginning of the year. He offered her help if she felt this way though. She needed to see him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Kudos and Review!


	10. The Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Harry Potter.
> 
> Two chapters back to back to make up for my lack of posts. The state of the world has helped me get back to more regular writing, and the next installment will be up soon.

Ella took her finals and was positive that she passed every one of them. She’d studied exceptionally hard with her friends, though the twins had done more joking than studying. Ella was glad they at least let her study, since even if her parents didn’t want her at wizarding school, she imagined they’d still want her to get top marks in her classes. Even with all the joking the twins figured they had done well also. Everyone was enjoying the beautiful warm weather with strolls around campus and laying in the grass along the grounds. Ella had seen Tonks and Charlie talking about future plans as she walked toward her own favorite spot. Ella enjoyed sitting on the edge of the lake with her feet in the water, watching for the Giant Squid to glide through the shallow end of the pool. While she wanted to spend time with all the friends she wouldn’t see for the rest of the summer, she also felt she needed to be left alone. She wanted to think about what she was going to about her dreams.

Could she really tell Dumbledore that she couldn’t handle her power? She couldn’t imagine what he might think of her. It was her ability, yet she couldn’t control it or even begin to imagine what it might mean. If she told him this, Dumbledore could think that she was weak and didn’t deserve to have this ability. Maybe he’d find her untrustworthy and think she gave away secrets easily. Then again Ella was only twelve, just turned on May 14th. The professor couldn’t possibly imagine what a burden it was on her. Knowing things before they happened, but knowing that telling someone could impact the future. He’d even looked frightened by her abilities the first night she’d come to Hogwarts, which showed that he knew this ability was dangerous. She’d only wanted him to trust her. Ella thought that maybe he could teach her about the ability – that someone could, but it seemed like even at Hogwarts and with other magical people, Ella was still destined to be different.

She was so deep in thought and concern over this choice, she didn’t even realize how much time was passing. She sat there with her feet in the water unaware of how cold they were. She toyed with her new charm bracelet the twins got her for her birthday, pondering everything that had happened to her over the year. Her life went from Allison calling her Smella and ruining her books to a witch who had passed her first year at Hogwarts with a lot of new friends who acted like family and actually cared. She could cast spells and survive Professor Snape trying to taunt her into snapping at him.

Ella felt the letter in her pocket. Dumbledore had sent it just that morning, once again urging her to be safe with her abilities and keep the future a secret. It felt almost as though he too could see the future as her dreams were only getting more frightening as they seemed to be drawing closer. She had tried to look into them more closely, to see when this would be happening, yet it felt impossible. The dream would shift the moment she tried to look more closely. It was dreadful. In his letter, Dumbledore mentioned a spell he had been searching for, one that might help with keeping the future to herself. He didn’t want to force her under a spell, but instead offered it in case she felt she needed it.

She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it since she read the letter.

_“You won’t lose your power, you’ll just lose the ability to tell others what you see,”_ she told herself. She couldn’t imagine herself being so loose-lipped, but what would happen if she let something slip? More than once, Ella had been tempted to let slip some piece of information to her friends or a professor and only just stopped herself. What if she weren’t so quick the next time? What if it was too big for her to keep to herself without help? She couldn’t think of what could be so wrong, but she knew she was naïve to think it couldn’t impact something or someone in a huge way.

Even though night was falling, she ran back to the castle and searched for the Headmaster’s Office. She finally got to it and saw Professor McGonagall leaving.

“Miss. Worthington, what on Earth are you doing here?” She questioned suspiciously.

“I needed to see Professor Dumbledore ma’am,” Ella said to her.

The professor nodded, “Alright, I assume it is important, so go on.” Ella thanked her and ran up the stairs. She stopped at the door and knocked to make sure it was alright. When Dumbledore told her to enter she did.

“Ah, Miss. Worthington, to what do I owe this pleasure?” He asked with a smile.

Ella looked at the ground and mumbled to him, “Sir, I…I don’t think I can handle myself and not tell people what I see.”

He still smiled at her and said, “Now, now don’t feel ashamed, lasting this long, why I never could have. You have a very heavy gift that can also weigh as a mighty curse. I will put a spell on you to help in the only way I can. I’ll first warn you about this spell though, it is a terrible curse that unless I felt the situation wasn’t entirely necessary, I’d never do, but seeing what you know and might know later in life if you give your permission I’d give the spell.”

“What is it, Professor?” She asked slightly nervous but still feeling as though it should be done.

He explained, “The spell is a very old one I came in contact with when I was in my youth. A former friend brought it to my attention. It is darker and normally used for different, more sinister reasons, which is why I’m opposed to it in all other instances. The spell will break completely when you are seventeen, but I can take it off you if we need to know some information beforehand or if you ever decide you want it lifted. You’ll understand when you’re older why messing with time can be dangerous. It is called _Arcana titulari maledicere _or The Secret holder curse. Now listen very carefully. This curse causes you to not be able to say a word about the future while you’re under it, it’s a Medieval and dark, but it’ll do the trick. If you try to tell someone what you’ve seen it will cause you pain, which is yet another reason I’m opposed to someone getting it. I’ll only perform it if you are entirely sure you want it. The pain will vary with the impact it will make and the bigger secret you tell. Will you accept?”

Ella was nearly shaking. It was terrifying to think that a curse like that existed and that curse could be the only way to stop her from causing a terrible future. It would cause pain if she tried to tell anyone, but what pain would be caused if she told someone and it caused some horrific event? Dumbledore had said himself that he wouldn’t suggest it unless he was certain it was necessary. Ella’s abilities were frightening even to a powerful wizard like Dumbledore. Besides, everyone trusted Dumbledore, meaning if this is what he deemed the best option, she should listen to him. She needed to be brave and do take the spell so that she wouldn’t be a danger to anyone.

“Before you do the spell, I think you should make sure whatever is in vault 713 is taken out, I don’t know what it is but I think someone wants to steal it,” Ella said closing her eyes to prepare herself for the spell.

“If it is your wish to have the spell done I will do it, and I will keep clearing vault 713 in mind. Now, _secretum locum tuum ne posthac dixeris!_” Dumbledore waved his wand and gave the words. Ella felt as though her stomach was getting handcuffed and her throat was being squeezed shut, but after a bright white light hit her the pain went away. She didn’t even want to see whether it worked or not.

The next few days went by much too fast for Ella. She forgot about the curse, but still knew not to say anything she saw in her dreams. She spent as much time with Fred, George, Lee, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie as possible. Charlie had decided to go to Romania to study dragons and Tonks took Ella’s advice to be an Auror. Everything seemed to be going well in Ella’s life except for the school year coming to an end. Ella didn’t want to go back home. Her parents would be positively dreadful to her.

On the night of the farewell feast the school had everyone talked and made plans for meeting up during the summer. Fred and George insisted that she spend at least half the summer with them and Ella couldn’t help but get excited by that. Slytherin had won the House Cup again and no one really wanted to congratulate them for it.

Everyone got letters from Professor McGonagall saying that they cannot do magic outside of school, which made Ella disappointed. She understood that having a slew of half-trained witches and wizards performing magic, many without supervision, was a poor choice. Though, she really wanted to teach Allison a lesson in manners – which probably meant the rule was smart. The train ride was their last chance at being together, and no one wasted their time in playing their favorite magic games and casting spells they had learned. Ella enjoyed the magical candy she wouldn’t get for at least half the summer. The train pulled into the station and everyone got off and went through the barrier to the Muggle world.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were standing there waiting for their kids and Ella was astounded to see her parents standing there as well. They were looking at the Weasley’s with obvious dislike. Ella didn’t know they realized they were like their daughter or just thought they were too wildly dressed for civilized society. 

“Mother, Father, what are you two doing here?” Ella asked. The Weasley children stopped dead in their tracks and looked at the people Ella had just spoken to. They all were taking in their appearance and thinking about how they were the people who had sent the terrible letter to their daughter. It made the twins weary, and for the first time in possibly their entire lives, they were afraid to speak out.

“We are here to get you,” her mother replied stiffly. Ella didn’t want to push her parents so instead she turned to the twins and gave each a hug saying she’d miss them. They both said they’d miss her too then turned around and to their parents, Fred doing so to attempt to cover the blush he felt growing up his cheeks. The Weasley’s all waved goodbye to Ella as her parents pulled her to their car.

Her father turned to face her and told her very clearly, “We know we can’t stop you from going to the school or being what you are.” She was amazed, were they accepting her?

“Your father and I believe there must have been a mix up at the hospital and while we cannot tell them this, we refuse to say you are our daughter. You will have to act as such when we are around others being that people know we have a daughter, and we will have to keep adding money to your trust as that is what’s expected. Don’t think you are off the hook, we’ve made some large decisions and you are going to have to follow them.” Her mother said completely ruining Ella’s hopes of acceptance. She’d never had a hope dashed so swiftly in her life.

“You will tell those who ask that you go to a special school for academically gifted students and live with your aunt while you are there. That is your cover story. You also will leave your mother and I alone. We are being very gracious in letting you live with us over the summer. As for this owl, we will not allow it in our house, it must go. We will call Animal Control for it when we get home.”

“No! You can’t,” Ella yelled to him, panic immediately grabbing hold of her.

Her mother and father’s eyes narrowed and her father said, “Find a place away from us for her or she will be taken away.”

Ella quickly took a quill and spare parchment out of her luggage and wrote a hasty note to the Weasley’s on it.

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,_

_My parents do not want Rowena to be at our house. They say it would cause confusion to our neighbors since Muggles don’t use owls. Could you take care of her for me during the holidays and make sure she stays at the Burrow? Thank you so much._

_Ella_

Ella had tears in her eyes as she wrote the note. She opened Rowena’s cage and had the owl hop on her arm. She stroked her feathers on her head and spent a moment with her owl.

“You can’t stay with me, Rowena. You must go with the Weasley’s and you can’t come back for me. Do you understand?” She whispered to the bird. Rowena hooted sadly, showing that she knew what Ella was saying and that she had to leave Ella to be alone for a whole summer. She attached the letter to her foot and watched her take flight. Ella forced herself not to cry at Rowena’s retreating form. She had grown stronger than that. She wouldn’t let her parents reduce her to tears.

This summer would be different. She wouldn’t be pushed around by others who were bigger than her or had more people on their side. Sure, she couldn’t do magic, but she now she had confidence and a place she belonged away from this place. With her friend’s faces fresh in her mind she set ahead to a new life in the Muggle world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this opening! Next up we get into the actual story with more recognizable plot!


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